Seireitou Kawahiru


 * "Warring with heaven, the demon with silver hair, who fights for his soul." - Seireitou-shishō

Seireitou Shōin Kawahiru no Jirō (河昼 次郎 松陰 精霊塔, Kawahiru no Jirō Shōin Seireitō) is a male Sōzōshin with a distinct Kitsune lineage, having eventually reached the status of nine tails. He was born as the second offspring of and his concubine Tsuyuri Kawahiru, the younger brother of Kamui Kawahiru, and the older brother of both Yukina Kawahiru and ; making him the sole child born to the Soul King who had inherited Kitsune blood. By way of this relation, he is also the half-brother of, Micythos, and Astraia. He was the first Captain of the Eighth Division in the Gotei 13, preceding Shunsui Kyōraku, as well as the Division's founder; serving as the one that laid the framework for its existing foundation. Seireitou was engaged to Senka Kururugi a month before her execution, and several centuries following this event, he was married to Shiori Miyamoto. Prior to the latter's death, they bore a son named Suzaku Kawahiru. He was known and feared throughout countless regions as the Shiroyasha (白夜叉 (シローやくしゃ), Shiroyasha; translated as "White Yaksha"); earned primarily during the events of the Quincy Blood War, because of his demonic-like appearance on the battlefield as well as his white hair and white Captain's haori. To this day, Seireitou is still revered as the Yonkō of ; a title denoting his skill in the aforementioned craft which he seized from Yukara Shihōin. During his Captaincy, Seireitou's division members took the collective name of the "Silver-Hairs Gang" and still align themselves with him even to this day. Along with Kamui, Seireitou co-founded the Order of the Seijin, and served as one of its first three Grandmasters. These factors, in addition to his heritage, has caused Seireitou to be labeled as a "dangerous element" by Central 46. He is illustriously known as Soul Society's Hakuda Grandmaster (白打団長 (ハッカダー・グランドマスター), Hakuda Gurandomasutā; Japanese for "highest-ranked of all martial arts"). Seireitou's exploits in Yuánrǎng alongside Sun Wukong earned him a reputation as an unrivaled warrior of the martial arts, culminating in his eventual acknowledgement by Pak Tai, the patron saint of martial arts himself, eventually conquering the powerful Taoist deity in a bout to the death and subsequently acquiring the latter's powers and vast wisdom. During his travels in Yuánrǎng, he was mentored by the ancient dragon, Kachōfūgetsu. It was then that he came to learn of his connection to the and his role as its current incarnation via atavism.

Throughout many of his initial adventures in the series, he has faced and defeated a variety of dangerous opponents, including that of his eldest brother. Following the end of the Second Reikai War, Seireitou retired from the Seijin Council, and became the head instructor of the Kawahiru Dojang, living together with Saori Sumeragi, and his two students: Minato Kuramoto and Hinata Kusuhana. In addition, due to a significant decline in proper combat arts being taught to potential Shinigami students, Seireitou was requested by Soul Society to become a Hakuda Instructor within the Shinō Academy during "special war time" situations; a position which he has accepted and subsequently has orchestrated an advanced class so difficult that many students refuse to take it, a ploy done purposely by Seireitou so as to avoid long teaching hours. His role in the academy is most prominently shown during Bleach Restart, in which he serves as the personal instructing adviser to Kintoki Sakata and Ryūhei Kuchiki, as well as several others throughout the side series.

Known throughout as the "God Fist" (神拳, Shinken), Seireitou is deeply respected by the  as well as others within. His prestige as an unrivaled master of the martial arts equates his status to a position of eminence in which many aspiring warriors wish to seize from him in their quest for recognition. By remaining at the top of his respective field of combat, Seireitou has caused many to seek his head while also prompting many to bow their heads in respect. This has led to him being regarded by several as something of a god, right beside the folk-stories of, within all four regions of the Rukongai, especially among those known as the Four Heavenly Kings. Both his capabilities and his experience is valued highly by the Soul Society, to such an extent that he is often requested by either or Captain-Commander  for various tasks that require a specialized hand. These often involve anomalies within the spiritual realm that are of a volatile and mysterious nature that even the Shinigami themselves are ill-equipped to deal with the problem themselves. It is not uncommon for even the to approach him in certain matters. In this sense, Seireitou can be best regarded as a consulting affiliate of the Soul Society as a whole; of course, he is infamous for being difficult to work with and only helps when his personal interest has been piqued.

Appearance
Seireitou is a fairly tall, slim, and fit man with a rather youthful face despite his age. He, unlike all members of his clan, possesses dark scarlet amber eyes, and also has long silver hair with a lavendar tint that hangs near his cheeks to frame his face. Most noticeably is his eyes, which are always kept half-way opened to imply a sense of boredom and uncaring. He also had, at one time, the addition of a long ponytail in the back of his hair. He wears a white Shihakushō uniform but it is customized and partly resembles a korean-style taekkyeon uniform with an upturned collar and hakama. He now wears a long, white robe over his normal hakama. Seireitou is later seen wearing a white hakama, instead of the black ones he was last seen in. Seireitou wears his robe open in a narrow 'V' down to his waist, closed to below the hips, then open again to the hem, which falls about mid-calf. His robe has long bell sleeves, into which he hides his hands like one does with kimono sleeves. The lining of the robe and edges or layers of the under-robe(s) appear to be black. From other examples, it is likely he is also wearing black tabi with white waraji. His Zanpakutō is not visible with this outfit; however, it is revealed that he wears it on his back waist at an angle, similar to Rangiku Matsumoto.

As a Grandmaster of the Seijin Council, he wears a tannish white uniform that extends past knee-length, seeming akin to that of a tunic. To keep the tunic in place, he wears a form-fit black obi which carries his Zanpakutō on the left side of his hip. He seems to retain a form of white hakama, though much less flowing as his previous attire. His uniform, seeming like a mix of a white tunic and traditional martial art attire, is very loose; as evident from his sleeves. Over this uniform, he wears a brown cloak that is complete with a hood, extending past his ankles. His facial expression seems strange; being one of intense sternness, yet with a whimsical calmness. In the Hell Tournament, Seireitou's hair had become longer and noticeably golden, as opposed to the lavender tint he sported in his silver hair in the fight against Kamui and Datara. He had abandoned the Seijin attire he wore previously, and now dons a dark purple kimono, with a light purple cloak over this. He explains that this cloak functions in a manner similar to Raian's black tenchcoat, in that it repels the effects of spiritual pressure. Seireitou has taken on a habit of wearing tomoe beads around his neck, which was a gift from Hazuma Kawahiru, allowing Seireitou to return to the Murinne Precipice World.

While he does seem to retain the two former uniforms at specific intervals, he seems to have adapted a unique uniform similar to a combination of Sōsuke Aizen's and Gin Ichimaru's upon his rebirth, and return to his allies. Kamui notes that it is almost exactly like the uniform that their father wore during his initial reign as Spirit King. Seireitou's attire consists of white sashinuki hakama, worn only by himself and Kamui, tied by a wide black obi around his waist which keeps his Zanpakutō fastened to his left hip; unlike most obi, it's belt ends hang downwards on the left side. The top consists of a thin white dobok, which splits downwards and apart evenly. Over this, Seireitou wears a long white robe that has similar bell sleeves to Ichimaru's former uniform. Leading up to his shoulders, both sleeves sport a thick long black bar running down the length of each white sleeve; these black bars are also shown to be on his hakama, running down the length of his legs on the outer edges. Similar to Aizen's uniform, Seireitou also possesses a white collar that is kept up, but only block the view of his chin area. The black bars that extend to the shoulders also run up the collar on each opposite side. It should also be noted that Seireitou's expression with this new appearance is more calm and peaceful, with an air of humility, further confirming that he has settled his despair. He later adapts a clothing style similar to the chinese shenyi.

After the nineteen-month timeskip, following Seireitou's reappearance in the series, he sports a similar appearance to that of his former attire nineteen months ago, with the addition of small armor plates around his shoulder. He has facial hair, in the form of a mustache and chin-hairs, almost similar to that of Shunsui Kyōraku. Despite his haori appearing to be very similar to his former one, Seireitou explains that the haori he wears is the one that Shōyō meant for the successor to the Seiten Shiranui-ryū, and that the one he wore nineteen months ago was merely a replica of the original haori. Unlike the replica, the real haori is crafted from a very rare material that is nearly impossible to find. The purpose of the armor plates are unclear, if they serve any. Underneath, Seireitou wears the same kosode that was worn by Shōyō in many of the flashbacks regarding the latter. These plates were later replaced with silver armour metal plates on both of Seireitou's shoulders that appear as collars surrounding his face and extend outwards down his arms, while also adding the metal band around his waist which connects to three individual silver armor pieces hanging from the front of his waist and on both sides of his hips; similar to the entire armored attire worn by Kyebaek Tae, which is said to be worn by "warlords of Soul Society's history" and may represent the assimilation of the "Shiroyasha" persona in its entirety, according to Saori Sumeragi.

When in the, usually when frolicking among other or when deciding to engage other mortals he deems interesting in martial art sparring matches to test their mettle, Seireitou is known to take advantage of his  abilities as well as his complete control over his own body through martial arts mastery to craft himself in an entirely new appearance. While his choice of clothing is often random, typically featuring comfortable fitting robes found in the chinese martial arts, the most significant change is that he has appeared to age drastically while his hair has grown a bit longer and his facial hair has lengthened considerably. He takes on the alias, Yín Méi (銀眉 (イェン・メイ), Yinmei; Chinese for "Silver Eyebrows", a reference to Bái Méi), whenever in this form.

Personality
Without a doubt, Seireitou is possibly one of the most unusual characters in the series. He appears to shift from a wise master of the Shinigami arts to that of a naïve child that claims to have the soul of a boy within a man's body, back to that of a warrior who has faced down death his entire life and spends his days reflecting on those experiences, reverting to a man with the spirit and youthfulness of a young boy. Essentially, Seireitou prides himself in "being simple", and would often cause others to believe he himself is simple-minded. Yet despite how simple minded he appears at first, Seireitou would reveal himself to be a complex person with rather difficult to figure out views. One of the more noticeable traits of Seireitou is that he tends to act out of character, portraying traits of a manipulator like Sōsuke Aizen or the suspicious traits of a sarcastic man like Gin Ichimaru. Tetsuro Ryuzaki commented that Seireitou is unpredictable, and it is almost impossible to discern his thoughts or his motives. Seireitou himself claimed that his main characteristic is being "uncharacteristic". The only one who seems to understand his actions, most of the time, is Raian. In addition, despite his personality having different outlets, the one thing that has never changed in him is the beliefs that he lives his life by. While most appear to be very trivial, there is one that stands out the most, and serves as probably the most characteristic piece of who he is. Seireitou is a firm believer in the principle that the only thing worth protecting is "one's soul", a teaching that was passed down by his teacher, Shōyō. He believes that no matter what happens, so long as his soul exists, he can never be defeated. This unrealistic level of indomitable spirit allows him to overcome challenges that initially appear to be futile. Perhaps an extension of this belief is derived from the promise that he and Raian had made in the past. They had promised to never allow the other one to deter from their path, and if one of them should, the other would kill them. Seireitou states that this way of life is how all four of them, the Yonkō, have dealt with each other all their lives.

Using a medley of quotations (some of which appear not to have much meaning to them, or are merely used at random moments, having almost nothing to do with the situation), he has shown a remarkable ability to consistently shatter the perceptions of many people that he confronts but never appears interested in making someone, as he says, "see things his way". An example of this is that he had stated that if two people share very different views, its better they go their separate ways instead of attempting to reconcile matters. His knowledge of people's true personality appears to go beyond being simply a good judge of character. Despite Kamui's background as a threat to peace, and strong incriminating evidence, Seireitou trusts him with many important tasks. In addition to Seireitou's great trust in the power of one's soul, he also had a deep understanding of the power of love. This perhaps stemmed from the loss of his dearly beloved wife, Shiori Miyamoto, whom he lost in battle to Datara Kawahiru. He possesses incredible insight on people, often knowing if they are troubled or hiding something; he sometimes even knows what a person is thinking, scaring even Raian with his powers of perception. It is hard to recognize this wisdom due to his almost constant shift in attitude, usually displaying immature and childish trains of thought and actions, but it is through these misunderstood guises that his true self shines through in a most dazzling manner.



Adding to his potpourri of randomness that he considers a personality, despite his talk of morals and honor, Seireitou appears to be very willing to commit actions that would be considered criminal offenses. This makes him appear very hypocritical and he will attempt to justify his actions with several excuses, most of which appear not to really make any sense. When such thoughts are in his head, he reveals it through "evil"-like facial expressions, although these are very rare moments and usually serve only to unnerve an opponent. Despite resolving never to kill, he is shown attempting murder on more than one occasion. In addition, he has a habit of hitting people, even those he doesn't know, for very loosely-justified reasons; an example of this was shown when he met his Reigai version, when he slammed the latter's head into a concrete wall without even questioning the situation. This serves to exemplify that Seireitou is very open when it comes to feelings of annoyances, and will not hesitate to act on them. Moving on with his odd traits, Seireitou constantly uses many forms of innuendo in his speech, especially in the sexual manner, in his statements, annoying allies and enemies alike. His typical way of being very inconsistent with his actions gives off an initial impression of being heroic and honorable, later on revealing his motives to be self-serving. While infamous among many of his colleagues and subordinates alike for the selfish and narcissistic aura he gives off, but to those who truly know him, he is a man that always attends to those who need him. In the former regard, he and Kamui are considered the exact same. Although this immature persona can appear to be a negative trait, it is also seen in a more playful light. Subsequently, he is sometimes seen as "tongue-in-cheek" comical, and to another extent, very serious about his family and friends. He typically acts in a goofy, energetic and fun-loving manner, able to cheer up even the depressed Raian at times. Despite these traits, Seireitou is capable of easily frightening anyone when he is upset or enraged, sharing a similar trait with Saori Sumeragi. In regards to his eccentric behavior, Raian states that Seireitou has went through several painful events in his life, going on to say that his inability to protect many of his comrades in the the Quincy Blood War still haunts him, and as a result, he is very protective of his current friends. When someone close to him is in danger, Seireitou has no qualms about putting himself at risk to save them, if necessary, as seen when he prioritized the safety of Raian and his group first, over confronting Kamui head-on when his group confronted his entourage. Raian once mentioned to Hibiki Asakura that he "had lost count of the amount of times I [Raian] have wanted to destroy the world so that it could be reborn. But he's [Seireitou]... He's enduring it. He should hate this world more than any of us, but he's putting up with it." This statement was meant to refer to Seireitou's ability to wade through the experiences he had been dealt and still keep moving on with his life.

Seireitou's almost immature and free-spirited personality masks his sage-like and serious attitude, appearing in him when the situation demands it, accompanied with wisdom that has been attained through years of experience; this may be a contributing factor as to why many commonly acknowledge him as the "Fox Hermit" (狐仙人, Kitsunesennin; literally "Kitsune Sage"). Some state that he is probably unaware of this immaturity. However, Seireitou seems to give off the implication that he is aware of it, claiming that he acts in the aforementioned manner to keep matters around him from getting "too depressing". Raian, however, comically stated that Seireitou had suffered heat stroke at some point in his life. When appearing to be serious (although the term is used loosely), his statements still belie some sense of dry humor and even sarcasm. Seireitou appears to act mostly out of self-interest rather than any sort of philanthropy, whether the situation be trivial or life-threatening. As both a Captain and a former leader of the Order of the Seijin, he comes off to most as a sort of cocky layabout, shirking most of his duties. Seireitou is expertly manipulative, prone to think several steps ahead of those around him and giving him a remarkable (almost annoying) talent for making subordinates act exactly as he wishes despite appearing not to have had a hand in their decisions. However, while these traits do have a place in his real personality, much of his outward persona can perhaps be considered an intentional facade perfectly designed to cause those unfamiliar with him to underestimate his remarkable intelligence and ability. At the core, he is a remarkably devoted commander whose primary focus and personal duty is to his friends and family. Though he hides it well behind a veil of cynicism and self-importance, Seireitou is a man who cares deeply about the people who trust and support him and goes to great lengths to ensure their safety and well-being, even at the risk of his own. As a man with considerable power, Seireitou considers himself a protector to those without and acts accordingly, earning the staunch loyalty of his most trusted compatriots. Despite his numerous complaints of having to lead, he has definitely shown himself to be a great leader. Seireitou has always been able to command the forces of the Gotei 13 in the battle against Datara, despite the seperation of their ranks. In many ways, according to Izaya Kondō, he represented the strength of the old Shinsengumi; steadfast, selfless, and modest. Kamui, in several instances, has professed to having difficulty to differentiate from Seireitou and Shōyō.

As stated by his older brother, Seireitou's most remarkable ability is his will to succeed, pushing himself beyond his limitations, and never giving up even when the odds are stacked against him. Seireitou, for the most part, only fights to win, and usually will spare his opponents, despite initially claiming that he'd kill them. His will to win is often bordering on the extreme, displayed by the bright white glow of spiritual energy that emit from his eyes during such moments. In contrast to this, he appears not to bear much regret to when his opponent has died, whether by Seireitou's own hand or because of other reasons. His staggering power is simultaneously reigned in and enhanced by his fierce unshakeable conscience and indomitable spirit. Seireitou seems to be proud of his own power, but unlike Datara Kawahiru, he seemingly possesses no physical signs of arrogance or overconfidence. This great strength appears to have a hand in his interest in facing powerful opponents, subsequently contributing to an inability to turn down challenges, especially when it concerns a powerful opponent; although regardless, deep down, he is a man of peace, a trait that was influenced by that of his teacher. Although he is a fearsome fighter with nearly unmatched skills, Seireitou will typically use the guise of a coward most of the time to avoid needless bloodshed. However, in complete contrast, he is in fact willing to risk his life for almost anyone. He is typically described by others as lazy, unmotivated, and useless. Although, those same people also seem to note his kind, responsible, and unpredictable self. Despite the fact that he would normally act as a coward and allow others to handle problematic situations, Seireitou is quite aware of the fact that his power outmatches many of those around him and would not hesitate to remind others of this fact. Seireitou has shown himself to have a habit of referring to fighting as "dancing", using several dance metaphors throughout battle. Raian notes that one possible reason for this is because martial arts have always had a strong connection with dance and song.

In the position of an instructor, Seireitou is known to be capable of unspeakable brutality, both physically and mentally. Furthermore, he isn't very considerate of another's feelings of self-adequacy lack-there-of, portraying his signature sarcasm. It was because of this, coupled with his amazing capabilities as a teacher, that among those who have either trained under him or have heard about him as a mentor address him as the "demon teacher" (魔性使い, Mashōtsukai). According to Saori Sumeragi, whenever Seireitou says "Eh, I don't want to.", his stubbornness becomes unrivaled to the point where no amount of compensation can change his mind. His role as a teacher stems from his deep respect of his teacher Shōyō Shakyamuni, and out of memory of his teacher, he values the relationship between a student and their master above all others; becoming enraged that someone who would harm their student would call himself a teacher. In the "less-platonic" sense, Seireitou has considered himself an expert on women. The truth of this is very difficult to ascertain, as he seems to understand a great deal about a woman's thoughts, but at the same time reveals himself to say and do things that are inconsistent with his knowledge. This can be seen by the way he "mistakenly" insinuated Hisaya Urogataya's statement to mean that he, her, Jacqueline and Okiko could have a foursome; responses of which often tend to lead to death-filled stares from the women mentioned, save for Okiko in that particular scenario. Regardless of this ability, he is not one to commit to intimate relationships, most likely being a result of Shiori's death and the events that transpired from it. Nonetheless, he was more than adept at sweeping women off their feet, even if it wasn't intentional. Almost contradictory of this, however, Seireitou appears to be very willing to commit perverted acts, being labeled by many as a pervert. His normal use of dirty talk, scatological innuendos, and ability to find women in unstrategical places also seem to suggest this. In contrast to this, Seireitou is often considered by many to possess a very peculiar charisma that sets him apart from all others. A unique charisma that is disguised by his strange mannerisms and ridiculous actions but has always remained true and just.

However, it should be noted that just as he demonstrates a darker side to him in terms of mentoring and combative situations, so too is there a maliciousness in how Seireitou deals with women he has personally noted to have taken an interest with. Ever since Shiori's death, the term "love" does not register to Seireitou when speaking of relationships that are not some form of parental relation or a master-student bond. Whether he does seek it and can not recognize it, or simply refuses to pursue it, still remains unknown, but what is clear is that throughout his life, he had slowly begun to delve deeper and deeper into his Kitsune self. One of the key aspects he demonstrates of a Kitsune is his extreme sense of being territorial. When there is a woman he has taken some form of interest in, usually that of a sexual nature, he pursues the woman like a predator hunts his prey. He loses interest if the woman is too willing but if there is a chase, he will continue deepening the pursuit until his Kitsune instincts finally are brought to the forefront that he seizes them as his own property; usually through repeated sexual conquest. While in the beginning, it was losing himself to his carnal Kitsune instincts that eventually led to the horrible mistake of him killing his beloved Shiori, in his despair and subsequent acceptance, he became at peace with his Kitsune self and those deeper instincts are now his completely. Even so, having forgone love as a forlorn enterprise, marking his territory via sexual consequence is how he establishes any sort of relationship with a woman that has piqued his interest. That being said, women like Saori and Botan Nakandakari hold a more special place in Seireitou's mind; to such a degree that he has come to accept them as close friends and comrades rather than perceiving them as sexual prey. That being said, even past females that had once worked together with him can eventually be turned into his prey; the prime examples being Kimiko, Sakura Hazumi, and Asaka Miyagi, all of whom succumbed to their deaths following the ravenous encounter. If the pursuit of the woman was one that satisfied his instinctive drive for a challenge and the eventual seizing of said woman was worthwhile, he will opt to continue revising them as many times as he wishes; continuing his ravaging actions until the encounters can not continue for some apparent reason. It is unknown how he goes about these pursuits, though simple assault does not seem to be an impossibility. While in some cases, these encounters led to the deaths of some of his partners, for one reason or another, and other situations have led to Seireitou simply losing interest (such as Amaririsu Itami), very few cases actually did result in the target woman actually falling to their own carnal desires and eventually succumbing to them as they welcomed the silver-haired man's repeated advances. Notable cases in which this latter result occurred would include Sara Miyake, Megumi Shimokawa, and ; the two former examples of which eventually led to their deaths due to eventually be smothered by Seireitou's spiritual pressure enhanced by his lust while the latter of whom resulted in the procreation of Sayuri Matsumoto. At one time, this aspect of his personality could be attributed to his innermost Shiroyasha, but it is arguably more tame as Seireitou never lowers himself to senseless violence during these pursuits. Nearly a century after Shiori's death, when he first began expressing his Kitsune instincts, he had sought out numerous females in both the and. It appears as though his current person of interest in this regard is Captain of the, Rikuri Ukitake, though any progress of this endeavor has remained to be seen.

Among his hobbies, one of the ones he appears to have a consistent interest of indulging in seems to be playing board games. Whenever he is by himself, he sets up a chinese Go board, and utilizes the pieces of the individual games of Chess and Shōgi. setting up a very twisted game that combines all of the respective games' aspects. They seem to form a physical representation of all the situations occurring around him, allowing him to formulate potential plans for said situations. The rules he plays by are also beyond that of normal, seemingly standing as a metaphor for the way he lives his life. However, this could just be a dramatic implication, as when Seireitou was once annoyed by something trivial, he proceeded to kick the board at Raian's head. He also appears to have an obsession (or addiction) for sweet foods, once threatening to kill whichever one of his two students ate the last ice cream sandwich. This also seems to carry over to alcoholic drinks such as sake.

It has been noted by both Kamui and Sōkudo that Seireitou houses two different persona. The first is his carefree demeanor, which is present consistently and makes up the majority of his personality and traits. This is often characterized by his moniker, "Silver-Hairs" Seireitou. However, Seireitou also possesses the trait of a brutal and unmerciful killer, characterized by his other moniker, Shiroyasha (白い悪魔, White Demon). Sōkudo claims that these two persona are at war within Seireitou, and have been ever since the death of Shiori Miyamoto. However, despite this claim, the "white demon" persona has been depicted several times before, most noticeably during the Quincy Blood War, when he was first given said title, and also shown whenever Shiori is brought up in a negative or demeaning manner.

Shiroyasha Persona
Through horrific circumstances throughout his life, having fought in a horrendous war and watching his beloved executed before his eyes, Seireitou had developed a sort of secondary personality within him that would rise to the surface whenever he would experience intense feelings of rage or sadness. Kamui, however, noted that this change in persona is most likely a reflection of his primal instincts due to the Sōzōshin blood coursing in his veins. While at first, Seireitou appeared to be completely unaware that he took on this sudden change, most likely due to being blinded by anger, he seems far more in control of these changes and aware of his actions during.

Whenever overcome by his Shiroyasha persona, Seireitou's personality utterly changes. He is no longer humorous nor eccentric, but instead becomes serious and apathetic. It is likened to that of Kamui's constant facial expression, exhibiting an immense shuddering aura of coldness from the depths of his eyes as noted by Raian Getsueikirite, whom could not read Seireitou's heart whilst the latter was in this persona, despite the bond the two share as friends. Raian described it as a strange and foreign darkness that surrounded the man's being, completely unlike that of Seireitou, while Saori Sumeragi expressed a fear so great that it threatened to overwhelm her and crush her entirely. Most noticeably, he develops an intense sadism that carries over into his conversations and even in his fighting. He demonstrates a complete and willing desire to preform certain acts during battle that would disgust or frighten almost any sort of opponent(s), such as castration and sadomasochism, to a point where it appears as though he finds some form of enjoyment and sexual ecstasy in seeking to preform such actions. Though generally wishing to inflict torture onto an opponent using his blade, he'll use his fingers to stab through an opponent's body and pull out a specific organ, such as aiming for the neck and pulling out their larynx or ripping out their spine part by part through finger-tip thrusts. He is willing to go as far as to tear off the reproductive organs of a male and shove it down their mouths or causing the sexual organs of a female to bleed out violently until they slowly pass out from hypotension shock and brutally violates their body. While doing so, his face reveals the incredible sense of pure ecstasy that he feels in the form of a frightening grin, doing everything possible to an opponent by forcing out every ounce of sickening pleasure and thrill he can from torturing them before utterly killing them in cold blood.

History
Born to the Kawahiru Clan as the third son of the King of Souls and Tsuyuri Kawahiru, Seireitou had never gotten to appreciate the benefits of being a full-blooded member of Soul Society's royal family. An incident had caused the young child to become expunged from Reiōkyū. Seireitou grew up under the care of Shōyō Shakyamuni, and was under the belief that his parents had abandoned him, though Shōyō attempted to persuade him that this was not the case. However, Seireitou continued to think this way, and as a result, he was apathetic toward most people in Rukongai who attempted to get close to him. Seireitou was raised in a dangerous era, war and conflict being a common sight in the Rukongai districts and beyond them. The fighting appeared to not have even a single instance of any ceasing. Under Shōyō, Seireitou became part of the Shintai Sonjuku school and studied under his mentor and father figure for most of his childhood and teenage years. While learning at the school, Seireitou eventually met Shiori Miyamoto, whom was studying under Shōyō around the same time as the former. The two, although meeting with a rocky start, became good friends who relied on eachother in tough times.

Under Shōyō, Seireitou had been taught all forms of Shinigami combat and how the four intertwined with eachother. Despite their differences, the combat styles all relied on eachother's teachings in one form or another. Once his initial training was finished, Shōyō would have Seireitou participate in missions that were in service to the warring districts. Because his experience was limited, many of his tasks were limited only to bodyguard duty and parcel deliveries. He often worked with Shiori, as they were quite the excellent team, but also had to work together with other students of Shōyō's. Senka Kururugi soon came into the picture, who's parents were nobles of the Rukongai village. Despite their interactions being limited, Seireitou and Senka began to develop feelings for eachother, to which Shiori showed contempt toward.

Before long, Seireitou had followed Shiori's example and entered the Shinō Academy, pending Shōyō's approval. At the Shinō Academy, Seireitou was admitted into the lowest class, being discriminated against as "scum of the Rukongai", along with Shiori and Raian. However, the trio proved themselves, and eventually were admitted into the top classes respectively. It was at this point that Seireitou and Raian began their rivalry, attempting to best the other in each class. Despite the two's equivocal skill in Kidō, Seireitou was able to best Raian in almost every class, earning perfect scores when Raian earned average scores. Handpicked from a class of other top students, Seireitou was assigned to receive special instruction. His sensei was Shōyō, his surrogate father, which surprised the young man, to learn that his caretaker was actually his teacher. Seireitou became even further distant from Raian when he met Kamui Kawahiru, Shōyō's assistant teacher who was also the current Captain of the Ninth Division. However, Kawahiru revealed that he was actually Seireitou's older brother during their one-on-one training. Seireitou inquired why their parents had abandoned him, Kamui explaining that their parents had become involved in a civil war, and in order to protect their son, they had Shōyō take Seireitou to the Rukongai. Kamui goes on to say that because of this war, both of their parents were killed on the battlefield. Seireitou soon confronted Shōyō about this, but Shōyō refused to tell Seireitou anything, and because of this, Seireitou soon began to feel detached from his surrogate father.

Seireitou held only Kamui in regard from that point on, and accepted the latter as his mentor. He formed a powerful bond with his older brother, but also a bitter rivalry. Kamui acknowledged the rivalry Seireitou felt, telling him, "We are brothers. I am the wall you must climb over, so you and I will continue to exist together." However, it was not long after that Seireitou began to see Kamui's true colors, discovering that everything he had told him was a lie. Kamui was forced to leave his captaincy under personal reasons, and confronted Seireitou, attempting to kill his younger brother. However, Shōyō came to his rescue, and chased Kamui off. Shōyō explained that he didn't want to tell Seireitou the truth, because it would have devastated him. He explained that Kamui was the one who led a massacre of the Kawahiru family, and killed his own parents. Sindae, realizing Kamui's intentions, requested that Shōyō take care of Seireitou. It was later revealed that Sindae managed to drive Kamui off, and the latter disappeared completely that night. Seireitou apologized to his mentor for making such a mistake, but Shōyō forgave him. This event deepened Seireitou's despair, but ended up deepening his relationship with Shiori. Before long, Seireitou and Shiori shared their first kiss.

The years then passed, as Seireitou graduated top of his class, and was placed in the Gotei 13 as the fifth Seat of the Eighth Division. He served under Captain Nagato Hiroshitaki. He formed a close relationship with his Capatain, but eventually ended up being the victim of betrayal yet again. Nagato revealed his true identity as Myoken, and attempted to use Seireitou to kidnap fellow Shinigami for experimentation. When Seireitou refused to comply, Myoken had attempted to kill the young silver-haired man. However, the combined efforts of both Seireitou and Shiori defeated the renegade Captain, and ended up running him out of his position. Pending an invesigation, Seireitou was acquited for his charges for insubordination. With nobody better qualified for Myoken's former position, not even the lieutenant at the time, Seireitou attained the captaincy of the Eighth Division. This was because sometime before his fight with Myoken, he attained his Zanpakutō's Bankai.


 * "One hour, Sei. One hour to escape the hangman's noose."
 * "Escape? My favorite two-syllable word."
 * - Raian and Seireitou

As the new Captain of the Eighth Division, Seireitou took Shiori as his lieutenant and Setsuna Inoue as his eighth seat. Senka had attained the captaincy for the Second Division, and Raian obtained the captaincy of the Tenth Division. Seireitou and Senka's relationship began to flourish from when they were kids, but Seireitou was more of a bachelor, hitting on women all throughout the Seireitei. Things were finally at peace, as Seireitou worked with his comrades on several assignments. It was during this time that Seireitou took on six disciples, five of which would go on to found Kōmyōzankū. However, eventually, war approached. Seireitou had worked alongside his fellow comrades, including Hikaru "Shadow" Kurosaki and Sōsetsu Taneda. After almost an entire year of non-stop fighting between the opposing sides, the Shinigami were the decisive victors. Two years after the war, Shiori worked her way up to the position of the Fifth Division's Captain. The lieutenant position was open, as Seireitou appointed a man named Akujin. Even from the beginning, Seireitou had held suspicions about Akujin, not felt by his fellow Captains. However, these feelings were soon made out to be fact, as Akujin was caught red-handed by Seireitou and his comrades, undergoing Hollowfication experimentation. Akujin used this oppertunity to force the Hollowfication virus on the group, causing them all to undergo Hollowfication. Akujin was in leagues with the Fifth Division's fourth seat, Sōsuke Aizen, the latter being unknown in his involvement until later. Before long, Seireitou's group was found by the Ninth Division's squadron, and brought before the Central 46. When Seireitou was put on trial for gaining Hollow powers, he was stripped of his captaincy and sentenced to death. Just as Seireitou was about to be killed on the spot, during the execution that followed a week after the trial, Raian intervened and freed his friend, as the two attempted their daring escape. Raian led Seireitou to the outskirts of the Rukongai, where the others were also waiting. Because Raian's identity wasn't revealed, he stated that he'd stay back and keep an eye on Akujin. Now outlaws, Seireitou and his group were forced to flee to the World of the Living, not before Seireitou thanked his friend for his help in escaping.

They were hunted however, ironically by Raian's own division, causing Seireitou and Shiori to lose contact as they were forced to split off. Seireitou had not known what had happened to Shiori, as he made his way to Karakura Town. He used Kidō to hide himself, until he had crafted a Gigai that would cut off his spiritual power. He soon took up a job as a High School teacher, and settled into the life of a human. The life of a Shinigami, however, did not escape him. He soon made contact with former Captain, Shinji Hirako, a few years later. The two discussed the occurances reguarding both of their defections, only to come to the conclusion that Akujin and Sōsuke Aizen had been working together, side-by-side on the experiments. From there, the two Vizard had decided to work alongside one another in defeating both Aizen and Akujin, and clearing their names. It was also around this time that Seireitou encountered Sōsetsu Taneda once again. Seireitou had also begun to make plans to find his brother, Kamui, in the hopes of making the mysteries of his past finally come to light.

Equipment

 * Hanullim's Sheath (シースされて究極の, Hanullim no Saya): Hanullim's sheath can deflect or resist spiritual energy attacks with the barrier used to contain its power. However, the sheath can only withstand a limited number of attacks. The sheath is capable of resisting any amount of offensive force; however, if that force is used continuously then the sheath will crack. This is why it was able to hold off Raian's Zanpakutō on its own, since it was an attack that was only unleashed once, but couldn’t hold off Kamui's Kidō since he was unleashing them constantly. The sheath can also summon Hanullim to itself, as seen when Seireitou was trapped inside the cage of kidō with only the sheath. It was created from an ancient tree bark that grows only in Asadal. Though Seireitou no longer wields Hanullim as a blade, he is known to keep the sheath itself at the ; however, he did at one time claim that he threw it out after "spilling hot miso soup" all over it.


 * Reiryoku Seals: Generated by a Kidō created by Seireitou, both himself and Minato Kuramoto wear these special seals around their wrists and ankles, reminiscent to that of cuffs. These serve the purpose of sealing the wearer's internal reiryoku as well as their reiatsu, while also making the use of physical movement impossible. Ideally, these cuffs act like weights which make it nigh impossible to move unless the wearer actively cycles spiritual energy throughout their entire body, allowing them to move. However, because Seireitou is not a physical being (as his body is composed of reishi), the cuffs do not hinder his physical abilities to the same extent they do to Minato, as the latter is a human being, but still appear to limit the former's strength and speed by a significant amount, to almost one-fourth of his true capabilities. These cuffs are typically meant to seal away a massive bulk of Seireitou's spiritual power (initially being said to limit him to one-tenth of his normal energy levels). According to him, the seals react to even the slightest amount of spiritual energy used by Seireitou, as their purpose is to restrict the enormous concentrations of power within him; their weight immediately increasing to nine hundred thousand nine hundred and ninety kanme (roughly over three million kilograms). By unlocking the seals, he can release the full extent of his spiritual power. When the need for his maximum power has ended, he will reseal himself with the cuffs. After his training in Asadal, the effects of these cuffs were enhanced onto Seireitou by an unknown extent.


 * Mysterious Jewel: Seireitou carries a strange jewel on his person which is shaped like a diamond with an extended body, holding a lavender-purple pearl in its center. The jewel has the number one imprinted on its side, for unknown reasons. It appears that it was given to Seireitou by Kamui, but the purpose of this jewel remains unknown. Kamui implies that it is a special item held by Kawahiru heirs.


 *  (천주학 (睿智天の原), Sōhaku; Korean for "Heavenly Learning"; Japanese for "Wisdom of the Heavens"): The of his mentor and grandfather,, Seireitou procured the blade after his master's death and has kept it within the confines of  to this very day as his most precious treasure and keepsake. It is a standard katana with a dark brown hilt with a white diamond design that runs up and down the hilt. Its crossguard is shaped like four gold flower petals, circling around in between the blade and the handle. Though the spirit within the Zanpakutō has long since passed away when Shōyō had left this world, due to their incredibly close relationship, Seireitou has noted that he can often feel remnants of his master's presence within the blade. He normally conducts his occasional meditation ritual while sitting before the blade itself.

Powers & Abilities
By his standing as a former Captain of the Eighth Division, and as one of the four Yonkō, Seireitou's power and abilities are said to be unrivaled by anyone who came before him or anyone since. During the Quincy Blood War, flee-on-sight orders were given should the enemy ever see him appear on the battlefield; even to those brave souls that dared to confront the man, the very presence of the silver-haired Captain caused all of them to cower in fear, prompting them all to subsequently attack him at once for their lives, only to end in a bloody massacre. His abilities, as of now, have advanced to the point that even Hanzei Kurokami believes that no one of the current generation will be able to surpass him, and that he has become equal to his teacher, Shōyō. Seireitou's overall power and infamous status are so great that his name alone is enough to incite terror in those whom would be considered his enemy. He proved to be so overwhelmingly powerful that without even using the full extent of his power, he was able to nearly kill several opposing Sternritter from both the past wars and the thousand-year following conflicts, stand toe-to-toe with Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto single-handedly (though the elder was also holding back his full strength), and easily overwhelm multiple Captains of various generational ranges in their Bankai states with ease, leaving all those who served as witnesses in awe at his might. By the standards of, who has managed to discern the relative power level of even the strongest that the has to offer, Seireitou's own power stands in a class all its own.

Transcendent Spiritual Power: As one of, if not the strongest Sōzōshin alive, Seireitou possesses absolutely monstrous spiritual power. According to Sorata Nekoi, Seireitou's reiatsu has an overbearing power which is unlike anything or anyone else in Soul Society, to the point where he even considered as something completely unrelated to reiatsu. His spiritual power has a presence which, according to him, feels as if it's trying to stifle his very existence. Koga Tensei compared the feeling of Seireitou's reiatsu as if the "weight of the skies" were on his shoulders. In terms of coloration, his spiritual energy is pure white, occasionally producing lavender bioelectrical sparks of reishi discharge, making a deep crackling noise when Seireitou focuses his energy. His body glows bright white when this is preformed, as his energy interacts with the energy in his surroundings, changing their properties in a very minimal way, most likely due to his Zanpakutō's nature. Similar to Raian Getsueikirite, when unleashing a strong enough surge of energy, Seireitou's reiatsu will often take the appearance of a fox's head. His very presence can cause even the most skilled warriors to lose their breath. During his battles in the war, Seireitou's moniker, Shiroyasha, was evident the moment the former entered battle. The sheer force of his spiritual energy raining down on the battlefield, the enemies staring on in a mix of fear and despair, as the Shiroyasha's very spiritual power would be the first wave of attack, followed by the onslaught. Allies alike would watch on in absolute shock, being enveloped in an "ocean of energy" that would surround them entirely. Seireitou's spiritual pressure has the additional effect of affecting entire areas to the point of disrupting energy attacks from enemies, as well as affecting others from seemingly miles away. Eventually, during the years following his resignation as a Captain, Seireitou's training had elevated his power to the point at which allowed him to contend with Datara Kawahiru on an equal level. However, there was something new about the white-haired man's spiritual power. As he spent a century together with the Dragons, his own spiritual nature became far more aligned to nature, developing a far more tranquil feel to it that would have no effect on the area around him. In being tied to the natural world around him, Seireitou's own energy would give life to his surroundings, allowing plants and flowers to bloom forth in conjuction with his will. Swearing to never allow himself to harm nature, and toiling in the forests and fields for an entire century, nature itself rewarded his devotion by granting him its protection; something which manifests itself in a variety of ways, most commonly so by allowing Seireitou to gain energy from his natural environment. Furthermore, it would possess a sort of healing effect toward those around Seireitou whom he favored as comrades, though this healing ability would influence him the most. Merely releasing a degree of spiritual pressure from his centre would be enough to slowly heal and recover from even grievous injury. Following the nineteen-month timeskip, Seireitou's spiritual power has risen further, prompting Hanzei Kurokami to compare the former to Shōyō in the latter's prime. The overwhelming levels of energy that Seireitou obtained prompted him to use special "reiryoku cuffs" to seal away a large bulk of his full power, hindering him to one-tenth of his true capabilities. Training under immense gravitational pressure in Asadal resulted in Seireitou's spiritual power levels to rise exponentially, though the full extent of his spiritual power at this point is unknown. Despite his full power being unknown to all those around him, Raian noted that his current power, with the reiryoku seals active, is almost equal to that of his unsealed energy level prior to his Asadal training. Considering that the reiryoku seals themselves have been enhanced to seal even more energy from within Seireitou after his training only hints to an absolutely god-like amount of energy that is sealed within his being by the new cuffs, waiting to be released at the moment Seireitou deems the power necessary. Unlike other individuals, even among those of the highest skill class, Seireitou's spiritual power reached peaks where it no longer manifests in the same manner that spiritual pressure normally does, as it instead appears as a coat of shimmering white energy of almost mystic properties. Seireitou claimed that his power at this stage reached a degree that his training with the Dragons finally presented itself in its entirety. Therefore, it can only be inferred that his power is akin to that of the natural world and even the cosmic energy filling the universe. While his energy can still be felt, it has been stated that it would be pointless to attempt gauging the level of Seireitou's power, as it possesses the same attributes as nature itself; so vast that it can be simply regarded as immeasurable, that any individual that tries to sense the depths of his power will only find themselves lost in its vastness.


 * Mastered Reiatsu Control: Through years of training and battle experience, coupled with immense levels of self-control and tempering of his spiritual prowess through, Seireitou possesses a nearly perfected form of control over his spiritual pressure. He is capable of exerting his pressure outwards as a feint, with such potency that most common opponents are fooled into believing he actually preformed an action. It has been shown that merely glaring into the eyes of an opponent is enough to render their confidence and composure asunder to the point of collapse. He has also demonstrated rather unorthodox methods of directing his spiritual pressure for unconventional purposes, such as imbuing a small part of it into the patchwork of an enemy's Kidō spell, yielding a brief disruption in its uniformity, in order to utilize his reiatsu as a sort of scouting probe; with the purpose of gauging the properties and quality of the spell's nature as well as the level of threat it presented. The true extent of his reiatsu mastery and control is derived mainly from his absolute self-control; a requirement of a true Hakuda Grandmaster. No longer is there "spiritual pressure" and "the body", but rather, the two have become one; they have unified into a single entity. The entire scope of Seireitou's reiatsu is his body, in that it can be directed in the same manner. It becomes possible to actually manipulate one's reiatsu in order to utilize it as they do their own body. By reaching out, Seireitou can literally strike opponents with concentrated amounts of spiritual pressure, as though it were his own hand, and likewise, he is capable of grabbing onto desired targets as though he were holding something in his physical palm. In doing so, it is possible to wipe out an entire battalion of foes using only concentrated amounts of spiritual pressure; enacting several martial art techniques from a distance using his own body as though he were a puppet master; his reiatsu being an extension controlled from the core that is his physical body. While Hakuda conducted in this manner is effective for most enemies, it pales in comparison to the tremendous force of his Hakuda when done through his own self.


 * Fear-Inducing Reiatsu: When in his Shiroyasha state of mind, just as his entire alignment changes, so too does the nature of his very reiatsu. It literally inflicts all those who feel the force of Seireitou's reiatsu with a deep sense of fear, slowly forcing them to surrender their composure to instinctive fear toward Seireitou himself and everything around them, causing those who feel the brunt of the spiritual pressure to begin allowing despair and doubt to seep into their minds and forces them to unintentionally lose control of all rational thought. He can even make victims suffer through hallucinations of all sorts of things, such as swords being thrust through their necks or the limbs of their body being ripped off. This is often referred to as imposing onto his victims the "White Curse" (白憑拠, Shirahyōho). He has proven that through this proverbial "white curse", he can rouse the within the souls of others that engage him in combat or those that he has wounded severely. In most cases, such intense fear thrown at a normal victim would result in instantaneous death, their heart being incapable of dealing with a shock of such intensity. However, an individual's willpower can be used to resist this fear-inducing reiatsu to an extent, but it seems that even the strongest of opponents eventually succumb to the fear in direct proportion to the length of time they spend under the influence of the Shiroyasha's spiritual pressure.


 *  (燐火, "Phosphorescent Fire"): Otherwise known as the kitsunebi, or "fox torch" (狐松明, Kitsune Taimatsu), the Rinka refers to the illumination of a Kitsune's spiritual power. When invoking his Kitsune nature, Seireitou's normally white spiritual power takes on a more lavender, close to purplish, coloration and presents itself as an aura which glistens from his center.

Reihikari (魂光, literally "Light of the Soul"): In his youth, when he had first learned how to control his, Seireitou had applied the concepts of utilizing his reiatsu as a force instead of merely projecting it as a pressure. By cupping his hands down at his waist, in which the hands are at least very close or touching one another, the latent reiatsu is converted from spiritual pressure into a mass of pure energy, typically taking the form of a uniform sphere, to which Saori Sumeragi had commented on the aura that the energy was emitting, questioning if it was "really reiryoku", subsequently noting that it was not even a form of Kidō eventually reaching the conclusion that it was the "very force of his tremendous reiatsu, taking a physical form at his palms." The hands are then thrust forward to shoot out a streaming, powerful beam of energy. The attack can also be used, generally under extenuating circumstances, with just one arm or even with the legs. While the strength and effectiveness of the technique is dependent on the amount of spiritual energy Seireitou puts into the attack, it is typically a very powerful attack, capable of literally disintegrating an opponent if enough strength is put into the technique. The destructive capabilities only increase with the more power that is pumped into it, though its power was able to completely decimate a large portion of the Seireitei at half-power. However, what makes the Reihikari such a dangerous technique is that it is literally the manifestation of Seireitou's will, just like that of his Hakuda styles, that takes the form of pure spiritual energy; although nothing could be farther from the truth, as this technique can obliterate obstacles that normal attacks fueled by reiryoku can not hope to do. In some cases, Seireitou will chant the words "Rei-Hi-Ka-Ri" while charging the technique, and then shout "Hah!" when firing the technique. Seireitou has shown various methods to using this technique, very well making this technique the most versatile of all attacks in his arsenal.

Immense Strength: Perhaps due to years of combat experience and time on the battlefield, Seireitou has a very large degree of physical strength, most commonly displayed by his ability to fight back his opponent's attacks with a single arm. Repeatedly, he has shown clear evidenced of his strength from acts like kicking Hikaru through a building and slamming Ryan over his shoulder with one hand in their battle, as well as when he grabbed Ryan's sword barehanded and reeled both him and the sword in for an attack. His great strength is shown during his fights with Raian holding off bladed attacks by force alone and even battling back his Bankai's spiritual attack. He had dispatched two of his opponents with presumably little effort, both of which were presumably Captain-level. Seireitou's strength is so immense that when he threw Raian, he was unable to recover due to the air pressure being too hard on his body. With a single downward chop, he was able to snap Mashiro's sword's blade in two. Seireitou was able to effortlessly cut through the sword and wrist of Kensei's Bankai. After overcoming his despair, Seireitou dramatically increased his overall physical prowess. This is shown by the fact that he can, through sheer force, completely overwhelm the Shunkō-enhanced Raian with no adverse effect to himself and also effortlessly destroy even a fully-powered Hado #90 spell. After training in the Murinne, Seireitou's strength allowed him to completely shrug off the force of a point-blank Getsuga Tenshō by Raian, while the latter was in Bankai. According to Saori Sumeragi, Seireitou has reached the perfect balance between speed and stamina with strength and durability, having conditioned his muscles through years of unique and unusual training methods. It is because of this that he boasts such unrealistic strength, without having a large-built body. He is like a piece of steel itself. Resilient and impenetrable, Seireitou's durable strength is so great that it is almost impossible for any blade to cut through his body nor to pierce it efficiently. He can withstand being struck by the well-executed swing of a sword without yielding any form of damage, even if he is dealt repeated attacks from all sides. Seireitou can go so far as to block the bladed assaults of his opponents with his bare hands, as if he were actually engaging them with a sword himself. His skin also takes on selective properties of metal, to the point that attacks composed of lightning are essentially useless against him and it also allows him to withstand heat to a far higher degree than even the strongest of spiritual beings would be capable of. This physical durability is often likened to the Arrancar's hierro, which compresses their reiatsu for the purpose of providing them with a hardened skin that'll protect them from enemy attack. As high-density spirits, the Arrancar are known for having incredible physical strength that overwhelm Shinigami. In a straight physical fight, the Arrancar are the superior species because of their strength and dense spiritual power. Using his mastered reiatsu control and absolute self-control, coupled with his tremendous physical strength, this allows him to essentially treat his physical body and his reiatsu as a single entity, Seireitou can actually reel inward his spiritual pressure completely, achieving a strength and durability that reaches transcendent levels. Even an Arrancar's hierro pales in comparison to his body when under this condition. During this time, one finds it impossible to feel Seireitou's reiatsu for as great as it actually is, due to the fact that it has been completely reeled inward and condensed onto his physical body as a sort of armor. It is as if the very will of Seireitou as a martial artist is what protects him from the attacks of his foes. The sheer magnitude of Seireitou's physical strength is displayed through countless moments in the series, most often implied by his tendency to always hold back during one-on-one fights; when the situation demands further strength, his blows are capable of tearing through the muscles of a Shinigami's body. The mere thrust of his hand is enough to impress the very shape of Seireitou's hand onto any surface that may be within the range of his strike's pressure. And with it, all targets within the scope of his hand are crushed along with it, smashed into the surface or sent flying through the air; their bones and muscles forced to the breaking point and horribly damaged from just attempting to resist the force of the strike. These become physical strikes that can be used to completely demolish victims before Seireitou, effectively conquering all that lay before him. Whenever handling most opponents, Seireitou elects to keep his fingers completely loose while engaging hand-to-hand combat. This allows him to utilize the sufficient level of strength necessary to handle the threat, per all of the aforementioned examples. It is basic knowledge among martial artists that it is important to keep one's fingers closed in order for the muscles running down through the arm all the way down to the fingertips are kept tight when delivering a hand strike or blocking an assault, so as to maximize the use of physical strength. In Seireitou's case, he keeps his fingers loose so as not to overdo the release of physical strength. However, when the opportunity should arise that greater strength is necessary, he may decide to tighten his fingers together. With any normal warrior, this wouldn't result in any major change, but because of his absolute levels of strength reigned in from centuries of martial arts training, pushing his physical body to predefined limits and beyond them, he can be thought of as nothing less than a true monster; an absolute force of nature. And therefore, the simple act of tightening his fingers together enhances the level of physical strength to an almost ridiculous precipice, as a mere swipe of his open hand with tightened fingers is enough to create a massive shockwave of reiatsu and brute force. Releasing his "reiryoku cuffs" causes Seireitou to unlock the true reserves of his physical strength, as the cuffs restrain him to using only about one-fourth of his actual might. When this occurs, the Sōzōshin's true strength is revealed, capable of unleashing strikes with such force, they decimate anything and everything within their line of range. Even without making direct contact, Seireitou was able to tear through Mūkade's Bankai structure with ease after releasing his reiryoku cuffs.

Even within the use of a technique, Seireitou's immense physical strength coupled with his uniquely-toned musculature allows for his legs to produce instantaneous movement and allows him to react within a split second; developing an almost god-like speed that even Mūkade's strange ability to track speed and movement couldn't keep up. With his arsenal of kicks, strikes, punches, and throws, Seireitou's speed at the utilization of these aforementioned techniques is nearly god-like. Most opponents are unaware that Seireitou had carried out his technique until they become aware of the damage that he has wrecked upon them. Because of this, Seireitou's Hakuda speed allows him to even take on users of Bankai one-on-one, while still appearing to have the advantage. The speed at which Seireitou attacks is unprecedented, as a single punch from the viewpoint of any other opponent can conceal nearly a hundred hand strikes simultaneously. With incredibly agile and quick footwork, contending with Seireitou in any form of hand-to-hand combat is usually a short bout in which the challenger is utterly overwhelmed and defeated. This sort of speed is very useful against multiple opponents, allowing Seireitou to effortlessly wipe out a battalion of warriors in no more than a split second. Seireitou's speed is so great that it seems as though he possesses a form of teleportation as he moves in the blink of an eye, simply "appearing" solidly instead of shimmering for a second like those who utilize. This allows him to move fast enough to easily parry a close-range killing blow by a Captain-level opponent. Seireitou manages to move at exceedingly incredible speeds, quick enough to appear behind Kamui's back and effectively counter him before the former could even turn to face him. He is capable of effortlessly dodging simultaneous attacks at close range and the evasion of Bankai-level techniques. He moves so fast that opponents commonly do not know his movements until after he has made them and is skilled enough in his movements to evade at high speeds even when being attacked from behind. Ideally, his motions are far too difficult to predict until after the movement is carried out. During a fight with Raian Getsueikirite and Shinji Hirako in Soul Society, although Seireitou states that Raian's overconfidence and Shinji's weak resolve was impeding their performance, Seireitou was able to easily outmaneuver both opposing Shikai (despite Kagemusha and Sakenade's hypnotic powers) and mask-enhanced speed to the point he could casually lay a finger on Raian's forehead and still dodge a point-blank from Shinji, who had his fist against Seireitou's back. By rapidly increasing the speed at which each step is done at exponential levels, he can push himself to move at beyond god-like speeds. Seireitou reveals to have a very fluid mastery of this, shown by his ability to invoke himself into high speeds as if it was second nature, despite the tendency for other users to end up with their legs broken due to inexperience. With such movement speed, he can easily match and possibly surpass the speed associated with Shunkō. These rapidly-increasing steps cause multiple sounds to occur, in contrast to normal stepping movements which produces a single light sound. Substances beneath him, such as tatami mats, appear to explode with each of his steps. In some cases, one can produce a spark of spiritual energy, similar to that of a Fullbringer's Bringer Light, and even burn the ground beneath him with each step. However, by accelerating his steps, force is exerted with each step, and with each step, more and more stress is exerted on the legs while using their spiritual energy to accelerate at god-like speeds. But through his self-control, he is able to muffle the sound of his movements if need be so as to remain undetected by most opponents. Although he has studied primarily in Shinigami combat, Seireitou has taken to studying the technique, advantages, and flaws of various other speed enhancement techniques, despite not being able to preform them himself. This knowledge has led to the creation of master-level Hohō techniques that are unique to Seireitou alone. Most specifically, he has studied the Quincy technique,. He has an interest in how they use their manipulation of reishi that allows them to "glide" rather than "step" when moving, and when faced against master-class opponents, adopts his movements to Quincy-style technique. In one instance, Andreas Nikolai noted that Seireitou was "moving less like a Shinigami and more like a Quincy". It is through such an action that he has essentially achieved a "constant Shunpō", as coined by Raian, which allows him to "glide" with his movements instead of having to step, as demands the style of Shunpō. However, most noticeably, when the technique is initiated, it almost appears as though Seireitou has disappeared, fading away when he begins the movement. This is due to him entering an opponent's blind angles, making it near impossible to register him via eyesight. Although he is much too fast to spot, even through the trained eyes of Dante Mecacci, the brief moments where his presence is visible, it is noticed by few that a spark of white light is generated at his feet. It is presumed that he uses that aforementioned cycle of spiritual energy to essentially "skate" through the "clouds of reishi" around him, while coupled with various acts of acrobatics, makes his movement impossible for even other master-class Hohō users to keep up with him or even make contact. In addition, Seireitou claims that this manner of movement makes his center of gravity an illusion, a claim which was proven in the former's fight with Kyebaek Tae.

Former Zanjutsu Practitioner: In his earlier years, Seireitou was a man that relied on the strength of a blade. Many of the most powerful opponents he had defeated was done so with his sword, such as Utsugi Kururugi and Datara Kawahiru. He could also clash against Raian Getsueikirite in the past, a warrior of supposedly greater Zanjutsu prowess than Seireitou himself, forcing both to shift between it and Kidō, among other combat styles, in order to break the stalemate. He was able to fight on-par with Hikaru Kurosaki, a legendary swordsman of vast Zanjutsu technique in his own right, and even slice through his Getsuga Tenshō with strict ease (albeit the technique lacked killer intent). This similar action was preformed various times against many different forms of spiritual attacks, all of which resulted the same way; including that of elemental attacks such as fire. Seireitou is ambidextrous, meaning that he could effectively utilize his sword with either hand and still retain a similar level of strength and ability. Although, he can also shift the strength of each swinging arm, in order to throw off an opponent's initial deductions. He was capable of using his speed for flawless precision and to inflict lethal attacks without much effort. A simple swing of his blade was strong enough to easily cut an opponent, even at a longer distance. Seireitou preferred to wield his sword with his right hand, leaving the other hand free though it usually remained hanging. He was also quite adept at blocking while his offense was capable of great precision. Seireitou's general method of sword fighting involved evasion and attacking an opponent either in the front or back using the element of surprise to overwhelm them. He had a tendency to use a "wait-and-see" approach, often countering an opponent with lazy-yet-skilled actions in order to gauge their level of skill and their fighting intent. In other words, Seireitou drawed his opponents in, fighting less than his true capability, and then striking the fatal blow when his opponents believe to have the advantage over him. That being said, he was more than capable of ending fights against other skilled opponents in a single move when the moment strikes him. In addition, Seireitou had shown an ability to easily mimic the techniques used by other master-level swordsman with little effort. His unpredictable nature allowed him to change his fighting style on a whim so as to keep his opponents unsure as to his next move. Those who witnessed Seireitou's prowess state that he "carries himself with a certain elegance", possessing skill that can only be identified as that of a master's level, despite not necessarily belonging to any specific school of swordsmanship. Additionally, while further tempering his swordsmanship skills, Seireitou had understood the secret of aiming the katana's will. This method involved being able to cut through steel by eliminating the ability to cut through anything else. In this regard, one could direct the might of one thousand strikes in a single slash with this method. Similar to that of Hohō and Kidō, Seireitou's knowledge of theory far surpassed his abilities of application, despite how frighteningly powerful his application is. It is his knowledge of theory that is rivaled by Raian, the Grandmaster of Zanjutsu among the four Yonkō, despite how the latter's application was said to surpass Seireitou's own. Seireitou utilized a form of footwork that was unlike that seen in most sword fights; such that all of his attacks seemed to be led by a series of steps in accordance to a pseudo-clairvoyance that was developed during his training with Shōyō in order to avoid the attacks of his opponents by the least possible margin and using the least possible effort in order to place himself in the perfect position to strike in the very instant the opponent's strike misses. Because of this, Seireitou's overall method of swordfighting stresses two-step attacks in order to ensure that any and all who opposed him were thoroughly slain. However, it should be noted that eventually following his ascension as a Hakuda Grandmaster, Zanjutsu has fallen out of use and therefore no longer has a place among Seireitou's skills.

Over the course of his entire life, he has become familiar with the existence of every one of the numbered Kidō spells, even if he himself has never managed to cast every single one of them. His understanding of the advanced mechanics that go into the arrangement of spiritual energy allowed him to effortlessly grasp the fundamentals of almost any type of Kidō spell that he was confronted with, even if it was a spell that he had never seen before. Because of this, Seireitou was capable of unleashing wave after wave of spells without needing time in between. Since he would often treat Kidō as a part of himself, like that of Hakuda, he often focused his spells with the thought that it was his own ability rather than magic. Examples of this included turning Sōkatsui into a flurry of fist-shaped projectiles, expelling a Haien as though he were throwing forth an Ikkotsu, producing a wide-spread Ōkasen that snapped outwards like a roundhouse kick, and even making Sajō Sabaku act as a Jujutsu hold, stressing vital spots on a victim to ensure capture; among many other endless applications. Despite changing the shape and form of these spells to better reflect Hakuda, the effects that each unique Kidō possesses are still retained completely. Tadoku Getsueikirite was the one to coin the skill method as "martial art spellcasting". In a similar vein, he could even produce clones of himself through those spells, allowing them to move freely from his body through his will like a sort of silhouette, forming solid clones that took on the properties of the spell itself. In addition to the shroud, just as the force of his punches can transcend distance as shockwaves, so too could magical power be unleashed as though he were throwing a punch. He was able to apply particular Kidō techniques (along with a myriad of other spells) to supplement and benefit his Hakuda techniques and stances, such as using altered Seki spells to surround his fists in energy-composed tekkō, which allowed him to combat an opponent's own spiritual attacks (including that of other Kidō) with his bare hands while stunning any opponent struck by his physical strikes. Seireitou's use of Bakudō was also surprisingly high, capable of generating Dankū almost instantaneously without incantation while boasting incredible defensive power. He did seem to have some competency with, the faction of healing spells, though just enough to administer first aid or to heal injuries that had been inflicted within a certain time frame. However, just as in the case of his Zanjutsu, so too did the use of Kidō fall out of favor with Seireitou in the pursuit of advancing his Hakuda craft.

Genius-level Intellect: Despite his laid back attitude, Seireitou has repeatedly shown himself to be a perceptive and insightful man as well as being very detail oriented when it comes to fighting. He notices his opponent's mannerisms and discerns with ease the reasons behind those actions and the weaknesses and strengths of his opponents. Seireitou has an undeniable talent for thinking things well in advance as well, make decisive and accurate decisions quickly in battle, and able to perceive any situation at hand. He generally has shown himself to also be a crafty tactician from how easily he can deceive both allies and enemies. Seireitou has a great talent for analyzing and observing everything in his presence, allowing him to quickly understand a person's pattern of thinking to better manipulate them and seemingly always be aware of any danger. He also has very good insight on people, often knowing if they are troubled or hiding something; he sometimes even knows what a person is thinking, which seems to scare Minato. Seireitou has been shown to be very observant of his opponents' abilities and powers, even going as far as to use it against them. He is highly intelligent, possessing a genius-level intellect, and is capable of devising and executing strategies with incredible speed and precision. He has also shown to be a very perceptive and analytical man from how quickly he can analyze an opponent's power and attack patterns to ultimately make them useless against him. He is able to quickly determine a person's battle style after a single glance as well. After doing this, he can quickly place himself several moves ahead of his opponent and formulate the best counter-strategies. In addition, Seireitou has shown great ability in manipulating others to do his work for him. He easily outmaneuvers and tricks Mūkade on two instances in his fight with him. Seireitou is very resourceful, able to use a wide array of unorthodox tactics to accomplish his goal. The series repeatedly demonstrates Seireitou's mental acuity; ranging from his superb skill in playing chess, to being able to deduce complex facts from a very limited amount of facts. Beliar himself acknowledges Seireitou's intelligence surpasses his own immense intellect, who has constantly shown him. During battle, Seireitou often uses misinformation, disinformation and an analytical knowledge of a person's nature to help lull an opponent into a false sense of security and possibly make them carelessly over-confident. He also takes drastic strategies to often confuse and force the hand of his opponents. Seireitou tends to second-guess everything he is presented with, though often saying that he "went with his gut feeling" during those times. Whenever Seireitou gives percentages to indicate how much he suspects his chances of winning over an opponent, such as "five percent," in reality he means over ninety percent. Although Seireitou originally gives Mūkade a low percentage indicating how much he believes he'll lose to Mūkade, in reality Seireitou is "pretty certain" that he can beat him. Raian often pokes fun at this, telling Bella Pelear that "it is difficult to predict his actions, because the truth is, Seireitou's a liar."

World Feeling (界感, Kaigan; literally "to feel out the world"): Acquired from his training under the dragons, Seireitou had become attuned to the energy all around him in nature as part of his training to appreciate nature. taught him that all things are alive in the world, even that which we do not believe is living, and from all of them, they emit their own form of energy. It is possible for one that has become attuned to the world's presence to actually feel out the energy all around them. Upon mastering this idea, he was able to feel out the slightest of disturbances around him simply by allowing his spirit to feel them out rather than using his physical senses. In doing so, it allows him to combat Masters by being able to anticipate when a spell is about to be formed as well as ascertain some degree of its properties. Martial artists learn to hone their five senses to the utmost degree in order to develop a sixth sense which deals in considering all potential moves and reacting to them on an instinctive level; almost like treating a fight as if it were a game of shogi. In doing so, they are able to deal with opponents that may be able to move faster than they can or perform techniques that their physical senses are unable to pick up on. But according to Seireitou, even fighting based on instinct is not the level of a true master of martial arts. Moves made based on instinct can be predicted by somebody of immense experience that has trained themselves to naturally pick up on the style of fighting that one's body is accustomed to engaging in. Seireitou has claimed to have defeated many martial artists in the past that relied on fighting based on instinct and learned to reach an even greater level of anticipating an enemy that supersedes even that garnered from experience. If experts learn to focus their five senses and masters learn to combine their five senses to produce the aforementioned sixth sense, then Seireitou has reached a league of his very own; he is able to actually feel out his opponent using his martial spirit. It is not a matter of the mind's focus nor a matter of the body's muscle memory, but the application of his martial spirit stretching outwards and being used to actually anticipate intentions of the enemy, movements they make or plan to make, emotions they are projecting, the spiritual signature and essence that fills the space around him, and even patterns of battle they appear to be fond of performing, among all other factors that Seireitou deems necessary during a fight. It is because of this that attempting to hinder Seireitou's physical senses, such as his sight or hearing, will yield no benefit to the opposing party. Losing his sight or making it impossible for him to track the opponent on a physical level will not make any significant difference as Seireitou senses his opponent on a conceptual level, taking the teachings of martial art precognition to their foremost level. He considers it to be the utmost natural state of readiness that a true master of martial artists could ever hope to attain, as his martial spirit is not limited by the body's limitations but rather he remains open to the infinite possibilities which are adjusted as needed.
 * Thousand-Mile Gaze (千情景 (サウズンド・マイル・ゲイズ), Senjōkei (Sauzundo-Mairu Geizu); Japanese for "Thousand Sights"): The pinnacle of martial arts is to achieve a state in which one is free from all things; even from themselves. The limitations and doubts that corrupt our being are born from the heart and the mind, which anchor us onto the physical world. When the mind becomes flowing and absolute — entering a state of purity — it may actually move together with the world flow. One's very mind can grasp the infinite flows of the world around them and move together with it as though the two were practicing kata together. Unhindered, the soul moves with the free mind as the martial artist enters a dimension in which they may conceptualize their reality. By conceptualizing the very idea of his "sight", Seireitou may see the truth in all things; regardless of the obstacle, as even distance itself is overcome. This allows him, among many feats, to vanquish illusions by simply striking them down as he would strike down a physical adversary after perceiving of its existence. He is able to actually view the from a distance as far as the Kabuki District; no matter the obstructions that may lay before him. Through hearing and smell, his senses can contribute to his gaze, allowing him to glean even greater knowledge from his sight, but once he contributes the sense of touch, instantaneous teleportation becomes possible as his actual being makes its way to where his gaze has reached. This is how feats such as the Shukuchi technique were born.

Unrealistic Rate of Adaptation: Raian noted that one of Seireitou's most fearsome traits is his ability to adapt to an opponent(s) at a rate that is considered almost unrealistic. It is because of this that Seireitou almost never loses to the same opponent twice, if not once. Initially overwhelmed by the rate that Yukara Shihōin's power was increasing throughout their fight almost a thousand years ago, Jinsuke, who was observing the confrontation, noted that it appeared as if Seireitou's own capabilities were seemingly increasing at a rate surpassing that of Yukara's own, despite heavy injury, to the point of tipping the tide of the battle in his favor. Over the course of a thousand years, this tenacity reigned in through centuries of experience and wisdom has only become that much more frightening. Sōkudo commented that Seireitou was a monster in this regard, subsequently noting how his title of Shiroyasha was fitting.
 * Battle Forged Precognition: Unlike his brother,, or his half-brothers, and , whom were all born as offsprings of , Seireitou did not inherit the same future-telling abilities associated with their unusual double pupil eyes. It was through several centuries of combat and martial art study that Seireitou eventually came to develop his own form of precognition associated with battle itself. According to , those who have fought in various life-or-death matches cause those who survive to develop a unique form of clairvoyance that comes about from an almost superhuman level of perception. However, what Seireitou has developed from his years of battle goes far beyond even that degree. His precognition derived from his experiences allows him to anticipate and instantaneously perceive the intentions and movements of his opponents effortlessly. He merely needs to register an opponent in thought alone. From observing their stance, he can immediately glean the knowledge of their potential physical movements that they can possibly take in their next action. Derived from the sight of their existence, the feel of their presence, the smell of their bodies, the spiritual power radiating from their centre, the smallest twitch in their expression or body movements, the acknowledgement of their emotional state, and even beyond that; a cornucopia of knowledge and information that rivals the power of Yhwach's "The Almighty" and Kamui's inherited abilities; making it possible for Seireitou to render almost any power he comes across useless the moment he faces it in combat or even experiences it from the sidelines.
 * Shungaryū (瞬我流, "Instant Self-Taught Style"; literally "self-taught on impulse/rebound"): Something that can be neither taught nor learned, a skill that has remained the Hakuda Grandmaster's sole property that can only developed through centuries of experience and training, the Shungaryū is a martial art invented by Seireitou himself and serves as one of his most preferred methods of combat. As the name implies, it is a variation of "garyū" (我流, meaning "self-taught"), referring to a style of martial arts unique to an individual as it is something that they teach themselves rather than being formally trained by an instructor; crafted through a means of specifically accentuating that particular individual's strengths while simultaneously serving as a response to perceived potential threats one may face down the road. The Shungaryū is a step beyond this principle, as it is a method which is founded upon observing the opponent's technique and instantaneously developing a counter technique that will either neutralize or overwhelm the former. Such a thing is only possible by somebody of Seireitou's skill level as it demands the Shungaryū user to be capable of discerning the nature of a threat and immediately design countermeasures to fend it off, typically in the form of a new technique that is completely thought up on the spot. It is through the same skill that Seireitou can even steal an opponent's technique and further master it on the spot beyond what they managed to perform.

Legendary Hakuda Grandmaster
Among the four Yonkō, Seireitou is known as the respective master of Hakuda; the Shinigami system of hand-to-hand combat. Even among other Hakuda master-class Shinigami who have consistently shown extraordinary feats of strength and speed throughout the series, Seireitou still stands in a class of his own when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, defeating those kind of aforementioned opponents with strict ease. His unrivaled level of the martial arts has allowed him to truly be named a "Grandmaster" of this field. It has been said that Seireitou has taken the prowess of Hakuda to plateaus that have transcended the boundaries of previous theory and concept; becoming an embodiment of Hakuda that is unsurpassed in every and all martial arts. With respect to this, Seireitou has been named the one and only Legendary Master of Hakuda, therefore being the current holder of the title, "Greatest Martial Artist in the World" (世界最強の武道家, Sekai Saikyō no Budōka) and "God of the Martial Arts" (武道神, Budōshin; literally meaning "Martial Arts God"); a status sought after by many. Micythos, a powerful being in his own right, commented upon the silver-haired man's unrivaled and almost godlike prowess in the martial arts, saying that he is "not just a martial artist, but rather is martial arts itself — an absolute force of nature."

General Hand-to-Hand Prowess: Known throughout the spiritual land as the Hakuda Grandmaster, he who has mastered all martial arts and the way of the self, Seireitou's Hakuda stands in a class all its own. It is considered something truly frightening when this man raises even a single finger with the intention to strike; as though a heathen had spouted blasphemy toward a sacred deity and those devout to said god shutter to think how their deity will retaliate. For whatever reason those of the martial arts world consider this man to be the honored leader over all practitioners and the precipice for all those that seek to master the hand-to-hand combat arts aim to reach, whether it be because of his knowledge or application, it is meaningless to debate. If a Master is one that has completely familiarized themselves with a craft to the point that they are permitted to turn those teachings into unique styles, then the true definition of a Grandmaster is one that no longer requires maintaining a style; every move is conducted with an innumerable amount of principles from thousands and thousands of different martial arts to such a degree that it is nothing short of perfection, all reigned in and condensed onto a way of being and a way of behavior, rather than a style of fighting. It is because of this that when Seireitou engages in Hakuda, his movements are no longer mere techniques, but methods of behavior themselves, that have reached such perfection that they can be considered a true zen of martial arts themselves. When one reaches this precipice of skill, the true stature of a Hakuda Grandmaster, the motive and intention of his movements reach the pinnacle of expression. The mere thrust of a single finger, normally meant to pierce a target, is akin to the strongest of spears when executed by Seireitou. Being struck by the edge of his hand, designed for normal practitioners to cause some form of specific damage that could possibly slash, is the same as being cleaved in twain by a master swordsman's blade. And the punch of this Grandmaster, if one were to consider a normal Master's punch to be like that of a thrown rock or boulder, is nothing less than the equivalent of a cannon smashing all opposition. Whether close up or at a distance, Seireitou's punch is a weapon of pure destruction. Eradication is to be expected when on the receiving end of this man's punch and one would be wise not to give this man a reason to curl up his hand. Similarly, this man's kick is like that of a tempest; blasting apart everything within its range and leaving naught but devastation in its wake. And when all of these methods of fighting are put together, Seireitou is nothing short of a force of nature in combat. A flurry of fists and a wave of kicks — it would be no different than attempting to conquer a maelstrom of razor hail or a tsunami capable of wiping out an entire community; leaving nothing but rubble in its wake. The force behind Seireitou's attacks carry strength enough that even the laws of spacetime bow to its might. A swing from his fist can cause distortions in the wake of its force. And accompanied by his, the force of Seireitou's attacks can easily be mistaken for Kidō blasts due to the appearance they can take; that is, of course, dependent on whether or not the foe is of great enough skill to even perceive the shape of such immensely fast and strong strikes. Not even the Captains of the dare to push this man to such a point, if simply out of fear for what this man is capable of inflicting upon their precious. Of course, this is merely in regards to the man's method of hardness, and in reality, perhaps the true danger lies not in his destructive force but rather the definition of softness that is prominent in the martial arts that emphasize the method of guidance and direction. There is a simple fact that should be known to all. And feared by all. Hanzei Kurokami stated that a martial artist of Seireitou's caliber makes the reach of his arm a barrier of sorts, subsequently stating the fact that if one were to enter this "barrier", Seireitou would be capable of defeating his opponent instantly. If Seireitou is to lay a hand upon your body, the fight is over. Your defenses will be neutralized, your center of gravity compromised, and whether your fate is to be smashed apart, rendered asunder, or thrown away like a rag doll, one thing is clear; that unfortunate fool will never forget that this man's title is well-deserved, and that his skill is real, no matter how much of a mystery and a nightmare it may seem. Opponents that foolishly attempt to reach out and strike at Seireitou will find their center of balance quickly compromised, their equilibrium disrupted, and their entire beings thrown down; all in the same instant as they attempt to somehow understand what had just transpired. Even as a small child, he was able easily defeat several adult Shinigami without even a scratch, despite having only began his training under Shōyō. This implies that, despite all the work he had put into his martial arts, he has always had a natural talent. Seireitou also seems to prefer applying a playful method of combat while holding back pure brute force, often being seen attacking opponents from aerial standpoints, but will commonly resort to stationary attacks that allow him to wipe out an opponent without warning. He has been shown to take down nearly fifty Onmitsukidō members with only Hakuda. He has been shown easily taking on the likes of Espada-level Arrancar as when he brutally defeated Xerxes Averian, whilst in the latter's Resurrección state, and is subsequently regarded by Almayo Vinas as highly dangerous. He can catch the attack of a Captain-level opponent with strict ease, making someone of that level look like a beginner when compared to his skill. Seireitou is also capable of delivering powerful blows that can smash through Espada-level hierro and block every single one of the multiple punches and kicks from several highly-skilled opponents. As of more current chapters, Seireitou seems to have foregone the need for a blade, relying solely on his martial art ability. He is capable of ending fights rather quickly, using only his expert timing and powerful arsenal of kicks and hand strikes. Saori Sumeragi has stated in many instances that Seireitou's hand-to-hand abilities make him appear as a "blade"; swift and agile, with no wasted movement, which makes it impossible for any opponent to find even the slightest of openings or instances of weakness in his martial art attacks. Without even needing to analyze a target's body, due to having an incredible unrivaled knowledge of both physical and spiritual bodies of various beings, Seireitou can instantaneously crush an opponent's bones to absolute dust, rendering their limbs moot as they collapse into a pool of their blood and cartilage without causing any actual harm to their outer body, no longer possessing any frame to hold everything together. He can even deliver strikes that can destroy the spirit energy flow points, such as the Saketsu and Hakusui, sealing away the power of a Shinigami or Arrancar. Even the Zanpakutō themselves shatter before Seireitou's strikes. Raian, a fellow Yonkō, noted that Seireitou's level of hand-to-hand skill and capability makes fighting him at close-range no different from suicide. Despite the seeming recklessness of his actions, Seireitou is able to remain focused enough to not lose his edge in battle, but rather enhance his already formidable prowess. Even against Noriaki Shiba, a senior member of the L'Obscurité, he was able to defeat and ultimately kill (albeit unintentionally) the warrior despite the grievous wounds he received from him, which is a testament to his skills. According to Raian, he does not depend on emotions such as anger but rather reveals these emotions in order to "put his opponent's heart off-guard and strike back without mercy". Raian often noted that Seireitou's most fearsome attribute in his Hakuda was neither power nor technique, but rather his unrivaled tenacity. This was best shown during his fight against Seimei Abe, allowing the latter to deliver a killing strike that would have normally annihilated anybody else and suffered several life-threatening blows, in order to set-up his positioning for a decisive strike.

Unrivaled Fighting Spirit: As the Hakuda Grandmaster, Seireitou is recognized as having the strongest of all (武気, "Martial Spirit").
 * Absolute Self-Control: At its core, the martial arts are a fighting force dependent upon the degree to which the master is capable of controlling their own body and self-existence. Therefore, a Grandmaster is one that has perfected control over themselves to a point that they become the architects of their own self. From their hair, nails, muscles, veins, and even their organs, all things are within the realm of their manipulation. Seireitou's body and mind are weapons that can not be taken; they can not be conquered except legitimately in battle against a foe that has somehow surpassed his own precipice of skill. It is not an exaggeration when calling Seireitou a true "force of nature", for his body and mind are instruments of his will; that is the extent to which his mastery over martial arts has reached. This is not a man that can be defeated simply by delivering a critical blow nor inflicting some kind of grievous wound. Simply put, his heart is incapable of no matter what the circumstances. His control over the self is such that only a will capable of overcoming his own will can ever hope to truly beat him in a confrontation, or to completely eradicate his being, and nothing less than that will suffice.


 * Amenotejikara (天手力 (アメノテジカラ), Ame no Tejikara; Japanese for "Heavenly Hand Power"): The legend of the gods told by the mortals are those filled with great forces of nature that have each had a hand in shaping the world as it exists today. One such tale speaks of the deity, Ame no Tejikara, who boasted absolute strength of such a degree that the other gods relied upon him for a task of the greatest importance. Having been horrified and disgusted by the actions of her brother, the goddess Amaterasu was driven to seek solitude within the heavenly rock cave. As the goddess of the sun, she took the light from the world with her, leaving it now vulnerable to the darkness and disorder that arose from the to destroy the world in its path. In order to restore the world, the gods united to formulate a plan; they had to force out Amaterasu by any means necessary. They appealed to the god, Ame no Tejikara, whom alone possessed the strength to pull out the goddess of the sun herself from her hiding place. His will was capable of tremendous feats of strength, demonstrating power that could never be achieved by mortals even after thousands of years in training, as it was thanks to him that Amaterasu was pulled from her place and the light of the sun returned to vanquish the darkness that permeated the land. To force out the very source of light itself, whose power is infinite in its own right, demands that its puller possess a similarly infinite strength forged from their unconquerable will. It is only from a spirit that does not bow to darkness that light can be pulled from the nothingness, just as Amaterasu herself was forced out from the emptiness of the heavenly rock cave. Possessing a will that is just as obstinate as the god Ame no Tejikara, as a martial artist that demonstrates an almost godly tenacity toward fighting, Seireitou is able to draw upon the power of the great heavenly hand and access nearly infinite strength that is capable of performing anything. It is physical strength on the precipice of the gods, and as such, it is by no means limited to the material; it can even influence the conceptual, just as the god managed to force out the hidden sunlight into a world tainted with unchallenged darkness. Strength with the potential to influence thought itself. That is the greatest strength of Seireitou, the god fist, whose unrivaled tenacity and will becomes actual strength, and just as his will knows no bounds, so too does his physical strength reach limitless plateaus. His strength is absolute in that it seems to be a never-ending reservoir of unimaginable depth. In calling upon the same strength from his own martial spirit that Ame no Tejikara had done before him, Seireitou's body radiates with an intense light to an extent that his body appears to be surrounded in the sun itself. The aura only persists for mere moments, symbolizing a raw materialization of his own warrior soul, but the strength it grants remains for as long as Seireitou's will persists. It is a strength that has allowed him to fend off the  that even the greatest of beasts fear, ripping away that which cannot be touched — thoughts and concepts themselves — while managing to resist forces with his bare hands that no mortal could ever hope to stand against; reaching absolutely limitless peaks so long as the silver-haired master's spirit continues to fight.



Master of the Martial Arts: While Seireitou prides himself in acting under the principle of the "style of no style", carrying himself as a person with uncharacteristic characteristics, he is known to possess a vast arsenal of Hakuda styles that he has either collected from other sources or invented himself, which fall under specific categories; not simply as offensive or defensive. Whether they be hard-type or soft-type, set in the physical or seem almost spiritual in nature, many of them being broad in their strength and application, ranging from the basic to the advanced, Seireitou's level of skill with each of them is enough to consider each and every one of them lethal; so far so that each offensive technique could quite possibly end the life of almost any equal or lower strength foe should it connect directly, while his defensive techniques are considered nigh impenetrable, creating a space around his being that makes all aggressive attempts on his person ineffective. He has claimed to Minato Kuramoto that the primary goal in all of martial arts, and subsequently in Hakuda itself, is the protection of oneself and their allies; in other words, defense. In specific regards to the aforementioned, he has made it clear that he has had a hand in formulating and mastering several thousand different defensive techniques that all find their origins in one of the countless martial arts he has mastered. While most of Seireitou's Hakuda styles fall under the various unique martial arts that have either been lost to history or remain today as modern physical arts, many of his Hakuda styles are commonplace, being methods that fall under one of the many martial arts that he had mastered in the process of becoming a Grandmaster. It is noteworthy that many of the techniques he employs, more so the basic ones, are generally nameless or are simply not named by Seireitou when being used. In addition to the standard techniques he employs, Seireitou's level of mastery and his years upon years of training has resulted in the formation of several hundred different techniques unique Hakuda techniques only to him and him alone. While many of them find themselves being derived from techniques learnt prior by Seireitou, nearly every single one of them finds some form of connection to one (or possibly a combination) of the numerous martial arts he wields mastery in. Additionally, there are also techniques within his repertoire that normally act in setting up for Seireitou's plan of action when it comes to certain opponents. In this sense, they are likened to the pieces of a chess game, as certain techniques help to set the stage for a finishing move. Despite this, however, they can work in individual manners, ending an altercation with a single technique. Many of these techniques also happen to serve healing purposes, allowing for such things as bone-setting and other associated treatments. It appears many of these are rather unique and strange in their operations. In fact, it has been said that many of the techniques appear to be nothing even related to Hakuda. Those that were invented by Seireitou were created as a result of his unusual methods of martial arts training. Saori has hinted that some of them have to do with. As the highest degree of martial arts master, Seireitou has taken to creating various styles of Hakuda in order to bestow these teachings onto others. Each of these styles reflects some measure of Seireitou's own beliefs and unique teachings. He generally uses these creations to properly train those under his wing, with the shining jewel of these efforts — the Shōin Shiranui Style, in other words — being reserved only for those students that have impressed him and interested him the greatest over all others seeking his guidance. However, that is not to diminish the value of the other styles that the silver-haired master has created, for each of them had been designed to teach a fortified and concentrated system of martial arts tailored to specific strengths.

Seireitou often models his fighting style with martial arts that he had mastered during his training session and experiences throughout his long life. Among his more common use of movements that seem akin to both Taekkyeon and Wing Chun, his martial arts reflect certain elements found within Bāguàzhǎng, as well as a medley of other martial arts that he has mastered but are rarely seen in combat. Martial arts such as traditional Jujutsu and Karate, among many others, are no exception. In being the Grandmaster of Hakuda, Seireitou has mastered all of the hand-to-hand combat styles as well as all of martial arts in their entirety, though a majority of this knowledge is suppressed into his subconscious along with his Shiroyasha persona, due to the lethal nature that they all carry, keeping only a few hundred or so styles to his conscious awareness. Seireitou prides himself in being a martial artist of the "old" and the "new", having mastered long lost art styles that many have even barely heard of, let alone have seen or learned. His skill also carries over to the medical field as well, his intricate knowledge of pressure points and bone joints allows him to preform bone setting and acupuncture with minimal effort. It is stated by Noriaki Shiba that a master of Seireitou's level is capable of closing in the range of his attacks, and then extending the range at almost instantaneous instances. As such, he can effortlessly extend or minimize the range of his attacks, making it nigh impossible to catch him off-guard. Likewise, he is capable of shifting his fighting style between hard and soft styles almost instantly. Having been training Minato Kuramoto to better adapt to seemingly any situation, Seireitou has showed himself accustomed to countless fighting styles and techniques, stemming from basic but outlawed techniques to highly-advanced ones. This is shown by his capability of turning many seemingly basic techniques into fatal one-shot attacks, such as when he used Front Kick, it was able to completely crush the ground beneath him, as well as generate a massive shockwave of pure force in the direction of his opponent, which shocked Minato greatly. Martial arts is the act of mastering the control of one's body, and Seireitou's control over his body is so great that he is capable of twisting his body and bending his legs in ways that would surprise many Hakuda martial artists, among even Captain-class Shinigami. Likewise, acrobatics are not a difficult thing for him to accomplish, making both of his students doubt he is even a real person, or even maintains a solid form, whenever he demonstrates these capabilities. He is able to effortlessly tighten his muscles to make his body as tough as steel while allowing himself to remain relaxed enough to breathe and move his limbs and body effortlessly, doing so at speeds so great that it can be accomplished right at the instant an opponent's attack nears his person. In addition to this reserve of never-ending knowledge of martial art styles, due to his years of experience, he can copy any martial art technique of even the greatest of master-class fighters, no matter how unique it is to the opponent, which has helped in the development of his personalized fighting style. Acting to his preference of airborne fighting, he normally uses the circular kicks found in certain ancient martial arts in addition to his immediate changes in momentum in order to deal surprise attacks added with an immense burst of strength and speed that supplement the already massive force generated by his own muscles. One of the most impressive feats of his skill is that he was able to break through sekki-seki stone with very little effort. In essence, Seireitou's kicks are capable of breaking bones and destroying joints effortlessly from as far as a distance, using only the sheer air pressure accompanied by his attack, tearing through substances such as concrete and steel with ease. However, his strikes are not limited solely to brute force, as they can even be used for something as gentle and precise as to block the swing of an opponent's sword, subsequently knocking the blade out of their hands by aiming for their grasp or their wrist. In the modern arts, kicks and strikes are generally more straight-forward, and Seireitou's ability to switch from both the ancient to the modern is a direct result of his hard-to-soft and soft-to-hard capabilities, as they are essentially two sides of the same respective proverbial coin. Emphasizing the use of kicks, Seireitou can also use his legs to block incoming attacks, only to counter with lethal pin-point attacks, while simultaneously delivering tremendous waves of force. He has come to learn multiple ways of applying his skills against a target's body structure. Even against muscles that are honed to almost god-like proportions, prompting them to be physically immune to strikes, there are techniques that allow the muscles to be "side-shaken", dealing damage that is great enough to rip the muscles in question apart effortlessly.

Dealing in the strict use of free-jointed circular movements, Seireitou's stepping methods are often very unpredictable, and make it near impossible for an opponent to land a strike on him. Footwork is key, and when used to its highest levels, it can allow the user to enter into an opponent's "blindspot" (殺し, Korui); something that is very rare for any hand-to-hand combatant to develop. Seireitou has demonstrated his mastery of this ability to Minato by moving through a large crowd of people and not once was his presence registered by a single person. Seireitou uses this flawless mastery over his footwork to generally set up for a strike or throw that can serve as a finishing blow. Circular movements also apply to the user's arms, in which a master-class martial artist such as Seireitou can control the radius of his reach with these circular techniques, allowing him to instantly block, redirect, and counter an opponent's attack, all within the time span of a single breath. These circular techniques are often combined with his aforementioned linear-based kicks and strikes, making for an nigh invincible and effective combination. The speed at which he can move his arms is also incredible, to the point that it sometimes gives off the illusion of him possessing multiple limbs. In one instance, he was able to strike the wrist pressure points where spiritual energy is focused in every Shinigami, sealing it which resulted in the internal explosion of the victim. As mentioned before, Seireitou uses these capabilities for healing purposes as well; focusing on acupuncture primarily. By aiming for key meridians of the opponent's body, via palm thrusts, Seireitou can alter the course of energy flowing around the opponent and through the opponent, essentially weakening their subsequent counterattacks or chances of continuing the fight. By doing so, the effects that can occur can end up weakening the joints (affecting flexibility) or causing a disruption in their internal and external energy patterns (such an action can cause one's spiritual energy to surrender to a stronger, more resolute one, making an opponent's attacks unable to cause damage, and even disrupt their ability to gather spiritual energy, such as the case of Quincy). Many other effects are possible based on how the flow of energy is altered, dealing in various results.

Of course, though he does not seem to show much preference in it, Seireitou demonstrates a great skill in styles focusing upon joint holds, throws, and even locks. These are forms of neutralization for Seireitou that, when one considers his master-level ability, make it possible for him to effortlessly manipulate the joints of a target's bones. This can be used to either break an opponent's joints, thus dislocating certain joints such as the shoulders and knees, at close range. This is demonstrated by a "bad habit" he has of dislocating an opponent's wrist whether they place their hands on him, often warning Minato to never sneak up behind him and tap his shoulder. However, even when this happens, he can effortlessly realign the joints with a simple flick of his expert technique. In addition to this, Seireitou mentioned to Minato that there exists a technique that allows one to throw their opponent without laying a hand on them; a claim which was considered far-fetched by the former until Seireitou revealed the attack's authenticity during a fight with Jihan Kanda. Despite being a generally consistent proponent of peaceful resolution against an opponent, the methods of which Seireitou manipulates (usually which results in joint dislocation) the bone joints can be seen as brutal while having a swift elegance. Even what may appear as a gentle tap to an opponent's ankle covers up the true incident of the bone snapping in two because of a forceful attempt to dislocate the ankle joint. Regardless, his technique is flawless, and can even predict the exact location at which he breaks the joint. Circular motion of the arms is often used to wrap the arm around an opponent's limb in order to subsequently break it or to throw the opponent. Seireitou's degree of skill and precision, coupled with an unmatched speed of movement, make it nearly impossible to avoid serious joint injury once Seireitou manages to secure a hold, with Raian commenting that the fight was over the moment Seireitou took hold of Kizaru Mōji's arm during their fight. These are not solely limited to the realm of offense, as Seireitou's own defensive tactics are nigh invulnerable so long as he remains on guard. He has shown himself to be a true master of the "catching hand" (捕手, Torite) technique. With a skill level like Seireitou, catching the blade of even most Zanjutsu masters becomes child's play. It was professed by Seireitou that only Raian Getsueikirite, or those at the latter's skill level, can actually utilize sword techniques that are effective enough to make this defensive method useless. The idea of the catching hand, or rather his use of it, works according to the method at which Seireitou uses his hand or fingers to catch onto an opponent's sword. Using a single finger to block the strike of a sword is one of his favorite uses of this defensive gambit, which is similar to the feat accomplished by Sōsuke Aizen, though Seireitou's usage far outclasses Aizen's version in that it does not use raw strength whatsoever. In reality, he allows his finger to act like "a rock in the river", allowing energy to circle around it without any harm befalling it. By his immense comprehension of energy and force flow, Seireitou causes the entire force behind the opponent's sword attack to essentially move around his finger and escape from the opposite end in the very minuscule instant that his finger and the opponent's blade come into contact; that very instant. In this sense, at the very nanosecond that his finger and the blade make contact, the force behind the blow has completely abandoned the sword strike, meaning it has returned to a state of rest, making it child's play for a man of Seireitou's strength to hold the blade's sharp edge with his finger. No matter how much force may be behind the strike, Seireitou will be able to stop it with a single finger using this method. Therefore, the only conceivable possibility to actually strike Seireitou with a sword strike comes down to pure skill, not strength nor motion of the swing. However, Seireitou comments that the more strength is behind the sword swing, the easier it is for his Torite to deflect the attack effortlessly, even if the swordsmen in question is of master-class skill. Therefore, attemting to strike down Seireitou with a single sword technique is virtually impossible and must require a combination of masterful timing and master-class skill level in order to land a contact blow. Seireitou has shown himself capable of blocking hyper-speed sword strikes, ranging from slashes to pierces, using only his one-finger technique. He is even capable of using the knowledge of an opponent's body and how to exploit its aspects for the sake of healing, through a method known as "vital point healing" (急所癒し, Kyūsho Iyashi). As the name implies, it has developed by Seireitou in a way that allows him to heal a person's damaged body through the activation of their internal dormant energy using his own energy as a catalyst, using their pressure points as the point at which his energy may enter their body. This reaction causes the, now active, internal energy to act by healing the points in the body where the damage is most heavily concentrated. From there, the internal force spans outwards like a pool throughout the body, healing all other points of damage, until the entire body is healed to physical working order. However, despite how useful a technique it is, several of the motions involved in this technique are rather inappropriate. They are very clearly identified as sexual foreplay motions, even though Seireitou denies this. It is further supported by the fact that sexual actions are involved in the technique's application due to Seireitou claiming it will only heal women, despite how obvious a lie that is. However, as morally reprehensible as it may be, the technique is highly effective, able to completely restore a body to full working order despite how badly damaged it may have been. The degrees to which Seireitou's Hakuda talents can be applied know absolutely no limits, fitting his title as the one and only Hakuda Grandmaster.

Master of every Jìn: Having come to master each and every form of martial art "jìn" (勁, "Power")...

Foundation of Neutral Jìn — Stance Mastery: Unlike the undeveloped form of Hakuda, if it may still be called such, used by low-ranking Shinigami that deal in simply attacking an opponent using the arm or leg, those who rightfully deserve the title of "Grandmaster" within the field of Hakuda emphasize the use and development of the stance. A stance is essentially the art of distribution, foot orientation and body positions adopted when attacking, defending, advancing or retreating. However, this is merely on the physical level. The very concept of a stance lies in its purpose of creating a frame; a groundwork from which a martial artist may proceed to act. It is the very basis of Hakuda's method of creating shape and manipulating form. From one's stance — at the root of all martial art — there lies the possibility for all things to bloom forth.
 * Reality Anchoring: All stances, at least in the physical sense of the idea, all derive their strength from the proper footwork. In order to resist one's enemy, even if their power is far greater than their very foe, a weak constitution will make such resistance fruitless and impossible. With a strong stance, one may defend against almost anything. And when taken to a conceptual level, the stance can even anchor one's self to defend against fellow conceptual techniques. In order to resist being influenced by reality-warping spells or even hypnosis, Seireitou can anchor himself to reality, just as a master of martial arts anchors themselves to the ground with a strong stance and stands firm against an enemy's physical attack; much like the mountain that resists even the fiercest of winds. He is able to weather through spells and abilities that warp reality itself or even attempt to take control of his own reality; in other words, techniques focused on inflicting powerful illusions or hypnosis onto their victims. Of course, the weakness in such a skill lies in whether or not Seireitou was able to anticipate the technique taking hold of him prior to its effects being able to produce the desired effect. However, even if a master is toppled by another master in combat and they momentarily lose control of their own center of gravity, it is possible for them to regain control and impose a stance in order to reinforce stability. They are able to essentially root themselves back to the foundation even after losing control, though this is often a difficult process and only one of the highest level of skill is able to successfully recover after losing ground. Even if Seireitou is caught off-guard, if given enough time to recover, it is more than possible for him to root himself back to reality and anchor himself as he sees fit.
 * Mudachi (無立, literally "Empty Stance"): Similar to the Muken, in which Seireitou materializes the will to strike by "hitting" rather than "trying to hit", he has demonstrated a similar skill through his stance. As those of the martial arts know, the stance is meant to provide not only a foundation for one's martial art but also sets the stage for the martial artist to act. In other words, by simply willing forth the act to strike, Seireitou can impart the desire to leave "himself" behind while moving; taking on an empty stance in which he leaves behind some portion of his will that acts on its own regard. Those of expert skill or even basic mastery are often able to vanish at rapid speeds and subsequently produce an that appears real and actually can bleed from being struck. On a physical level, this is explained as moving in such a way that one moves faster than the eye can see; causing an optical illusion that produces what is called the afterimage. Greater martial artists can use such a skill to greater effect by moving so extremely fast that some portion of their presence is left behind in the vacuum of space where their bodies originally stood. One of Seireitou's prowess can take such a skill even further than the physical restrictions allow, leaving behind some part of his own will in his wake when moving away which can not be perceived except through touch. He describes the phenomena as moving his body while allowing the mind to remain stationary. In other words, the Mudachi is a stance of the mind rather than of the body. This results in the formation of several replicas of Seireitou himself that can not be perceived except by those of immense skill, for they do not physically exist in the realm as clones but are embodiments of Seireitou left behind to act of their own accord. It is from this principle that Seireitou formulated the technique of creating spell clones born from his  shrouds. Of course, he does not need to initiate physical movement for his mind to act, as these invisible replicas can act even if Seireitou chooses not to physically move; therefore, the Mudachi flows elegantly into the Muken strike.


 * Tōkidachi (闘気立, literally "Fighting Spirit Stance")

Shukuchi (縮地, Reduced Earth): Upon reaching Hakuda's pinnacle precipice, one comes to fully understand their existence and attains a centered undisturbed tranquility. They may see the world for what it truly is: a flow of energy, making various twists and turns, at a medley of angles and rhythms. Essentially, one realizes that life is in a constant state of unyielding motion. In doing so, it becomes possible to enter this flow and "ride" it to one's location instantaneously. This is known as the art of reducing earth, the Shukuchi, a technique regarded in legend by the Kami who first utilized its ability; as achieved through the skill of a Hakudaka of Seireitou's prowess. As though one were swimming down a river, Seireitou can transition between two points of space by riding the world's own energy flow. Theoretically, it is possible for him to close the distance no matter what restrictions may be in place, whether they be of the physical or even spiritual variety. For combat purposes, the Maai, the distance between two opponents, is known as the physical personification of this flow. Seireitou can immediately close this space between himself and his opponent(s) in battle. Nothing appears possible to hinder the Shukuchi's motion; distance itself is of no consequence to this technique, as even massive distances of spacial separation are nothing to this technique. The benefit of this motion technique is that distance can be crossed with excluding time itself as a factor. Ichigo Kurosaki, when brought to another location by Seireitou via the Shukuchi technique, described the experience as such. Within a split-second, the two of them arrived in a barren wasteland, far away from the grassy knolls where Ichigo could see the sekki-seki castle known as Seireitei; where he had just stood not even a second before this change of scenery. Though, the transition felt... weird. The moment he had realized Seireitou touched him, his vision was quickly blinded by what appeared to be a river of various colors; some he knew and some he hadn't ever laid eyes upon before. It has seemed as though they were swimming in this river of colors, but before he comprehended such a thing, they had arrived in their destination. A strange feeling indeed... It was no flash step that the silver-haired man had just used to bring them to their location. It was more like... teleportation than anything else. Whether a vast distance or even a short one, time becomes nonexistant as the distance is crossed instantaneously. Sōkudo had believed that the Shukuchi allows Seireitou to move from one point in space to another point in space while remaining within the exact same time-frame, making both distance and speed negligible. The technique reveals to possess the ability to even allow Seireitou to escape Sōkudo's space-time techniques generated by the Kuro no Hōgyoku, despite the latter already being in physical contact with him. Even when he is in contact with another person or object, he is still able to utilize the technique and, if he so wishes, can teleport other objects as well. It goes without saying that the technique completely surpasses any form of Hohō, as it is a manipulation of time and space through the martial will of Seireitou's Hakuda rather than accelerated movement.
 * Kyojitsu (虚実, literally "Art of Truth and Falsehood"; also translated as "method of manipulating truth and falsehood"): Mortals are such contradictory beings, flickering back and forth between truth and illusion as though it were their innate nature to do so. Everybody lies. It is the greatest strength of a mortal to utilize deception in order to garner that which they seek from victims but more so to ensure their own survival when all other means have failed. Martial arts, in the hands of the humans, therefore were all born with the same idea that deception creates the necessary foundation. There are always those novices that engage in straightforward combat, wielding naught but truth in their fists as they confront their opponent. But to those that have become seasoned by the experiences that arise from an association with the world of martial arts, truth is no longer enough. Vulnerabilities become apparent to the equally skilled and studied enemies, for it is not difficult to ascertain the truth behind behavior and action. Movements hidden within movements, intimidation tactics designed to force an opponent into revealing an opening, and even eccentric tricks that would never be thought to have any use on a war-ravaged battlefield, are all concepts within martial arts that the masters of these crafts eventually learn to utilize in order to properly fight against the truth of an opponent that possesses the power necessary to crush truth by conventional methods. But this is where a mortal reaches their limitations and the martial arts practiced by humans are so restricted. They can choose how to deceive their victim, the method in which they do so to set up for the truth of their techniques to have a decisive effect on their opponent, but ultimately, deception can never be truth and truth can never be a lie. False movements can never be made to be real. After all, how could mere humans ever will forth such things? Kyojitsu, the true art as mastered by a person of deity-like standing, such as Seireitou, only reaches its highest purpose when utilized by somebody that has transcended the mortal realm of martial arts. Manipulation of truth and lies during the heat of battle, at that point, becomes nothing but a game to Seireitou. He can quite literally breathe truth into the lies his martial arts imposes, and in the same vein, he may rip away truth from truth and turn his own actions into lies. It operates upon the principle of manifesting one's martial will onto the world and using it to manipulate the truth and falsehoods of one's own actions. On the physical plain, a mortal has but a single body, a single pair of arms, and a single pair of legs. Therefore, no matter how fast or strong they are, these are numerical limitations that can never be overcome without assistance. But the will of a martial artist is infinite, proportional only to their conviction and desire, meaning that for a Grandmaster such as Seireitou whom can manifest such a thing, it becomes possible to utilize his own will as though it were an extension of his own being. The result of this being an ability to make false movements, such as feints, into actions that can interact with the world and have a real effect. For example, a trick as basic as creating afterimages that are left behind in the wake of his superior speed, would normally be considered a technique which gives rise to falsities. After all, they are just transparent illusions designed to make an enemy believe Seireitou is still within a single instance of spacetime, when in reality, he has already shifted his person elsewhere. With his method of Kyojitsu, he can instill truth into these illusions, allowing him to create actual clones that possess life and consciousness of their own. Of course, they are still one with the source, but they are lies that have been manipulated into truths. When certain circumstances happen in one's life and lead to particular events, in the way that causality explains the world operates, other possible outcomes and scenarios either do not occur or happen in other dimensions that escape one's limited perceptions. However, this is overcome by the select those that have reached the precipice that transcends the physical and even spiritual chains that bind understanding, allowing them to perceive the "world's flow". This is something that allows one to actually view causality in its purest form and actually manipulate it to a degree. It is said that the first one to reach this level was the founder of Kyojitsu, an art that makes it possible to manifest all possibilities within a causality relationship. Both truth and lies can exist at a given time. Seireitou, as one of the only existing martial artist aware of this art, has revealed himself to have mastered it in its entirety; although it is almost never used by him in normal confrontations. He has demonstrated the ability to effortlessly manifest multiple potential responses for all situations simultaneously, as per the martial art's purpose. This is due to the fact that Seireitou is freely capable of perceiving the "world's flow", making it possible to read the causality relationship for an event and respond accordingly via the Kyojitsu. He can "dodge an attack" while also "doing nothing" with such ease that a physical strike would appear as though it has merely passed through him. However, he can take it much farther than just this simple expression of the art. The mere act of this style is the idea of transcending the physics of a world. In purely offensive terms, Seireitou can even preform several concurrent attacks in order to close in on a target from all sides so as to imprison them and leave them without any means of defense nor escape; applicable to even the most basic of techniques and normal combinations. It completely disregards space and time, going beyond all physical limitations such as speed and other associated factors in order to carry out the technique. The Kyojitsu is a complex martial art principle to apply effectively and despite its nearly limitless possibilities, Seireitou is acclaimed to be capable of using any and all of them. And yet, this is but the beginning of what Kyojitsu can become when used by Seireitou. A dying art that has been abandoned by mortals, as their minds simply can not comprehend its vast applications nor could they ever hope to acquire its secrets. It is an art that shall remain with the Hakuda Grandmaster and those worthy enough to be entrusted with it.

Attacking Method
Ikkotsu (一骨, "Single Bone"): The amalgamation of every "fist" from every "martial art", condensed together and refined into a single punch that can take the form of thousands depending on the master who wields the fist, Ikkotsu is the Hakuda Grandmaster's weapon of choice. Ideally the simplistic yet one of the most devastating of projection-type techniques, for one who has mastered the concept, the Ikkotsu is a one-handed punch that has been mastered by Seireitou to such a degree that every punch he throws is nothing short but that of Ikkotsu itself. The very existence of all martial arts can be likened to a towering tree with an infinitely expanding number of branches sprouting from its trunk. If every martial art was each represented by an individual branch, then Ikkotsu can be deemed the root from which the tree finds foundation. In its most simple terms of understanding, the Ikkotsu is a punch that strikes at the framework of a particular threat. On a physical level, this can be understood as attacking the target's skeletal and nerve systems, rendering their body useless and inert. The principles of Ikkotsu lie in pressuring and eventually destroying the framework that holds any structure together. All things have a frame which allows it to exist, despite if they should be physical or mental or even spiritual. Ikkotsu will destroy it outright no matter what it actually is so long as the martial artist can utilize its principles successfully. The actual movements and techniques of the Ikkotsu is never superfluous; rather simplistic and straightforward as they seek to finish the confrontation as quick and efficiently as possible. And in the hands of the true master, Seireitou's punches and the Ikkotsu technique no longer possess any differentiation as they are one and the same. It takes no effort at all, as natural as breathing, for Seireitou to execute his Ikkotsu; much less when fired off as a jab. The Ikkotsu maximizes damage, pain, and stress, obliterating the target's proverbial skeleton while preserving the user's own power and stamina. Ideally, one eventually views the opponent as nothing more than a framework with points that must be struck in order for its entire structure to be rent asunder. Miyamoto Musashi noted it best when he stated that all things collapse, no matter what they are, given that one manages to disrupt the rhythm that maintains their hold. However, the Ikkotsu is far from something as gentle as mere "disruption", as its goal is the total destruction of the framework and subsequently the structure itself. Through mastery of the root of all martial arts, the purest of all sources, one is capable of implementing its philosophy onto the realm of the mental and spiritual. However, it is only through a master of Seireitou's status that such a realization is ever brought to its highest degree and application; to the point that it has transformed and transcended into a weapon of pure destruction that exists as an unstoppable force of nature in its own right. Being the Ikkotsu's "rightful master", due to the aforementioned feats, Seireitou can apply the philosophy of the martial art in all realms. It reduces everything onto total chaos, causing everything struck by its techniques to lose its order. But as it was aforementioned, it is not limited to physical feats. Even illusions are structures; mental constructs designed to alternate and redirect the mind of its intended target(s). Ikkotsu can eliminate illusions by attacking this framework which allows it to function, causing it to be dispersed and effectively diminished. The "punch" hits the "enemy", that is all there is to it; no matter what the enemy might be, even if it is something conceptual. Souls themselves can be broken and torn apart through the Ikkotsu in a similar manner as a mind can be. Those souls weakened by doubt and lacking resolve can not hope to stand against Serieitou. It is because of how destructive and lethal Seireitou's Ikkotsu can be that he refuses to teach any pupil its secrets. Should it ever fall into the wrong hands, it could mean disastrous ends for thousands of innocents. It is quite amazing, for a punch that is no more special to Seireitou than any other strike of his hand, to possess such catastrophic power.

In most cases, Seireitou does not execute Ikkotsu as an actual punch. For a martial artist to punch, it means to use their entire being and focus their striking power in a single shot. Rather than a punch, Seireitou prefers to use Ikkotsu most commonly as a jab. When used in such a casual manner, the Ikkotsu's power is diluted to nearly a hundredth of its true capability. The difference between a street fighter's punch and a martial artist's punch all depends on its execution. Therefore, for Seireitou to use Ikkotsu as a jab, it means he is not fighting as a martial artist but as a common fighter. Seireitou's Ikkotsu jab has the strength to deal a decisive blow to an opponent of nearly equal or lesser power, causing all organs within the point of contact to rupture indefinitely. An Ikkotsu of similar power, dealt to a direct location such as the head or the arm, would cause the entire limb to collapse onto bloody pieces. Even as a jab, the Ikkotsu maintains frightening strength and application. Seireitou is able to actually cause the space around him to distort by sheer brute force when swinging his arm rather than thrusting it forward, yet still without applying all of his being into the strike, causing a wave of pure force to crash into the intended target; regardless of its proximity to Seireitou, as even a target from a significant distance can be struck down and rendered apart. The air bends and snaps to accommodate this distortion of space, crushing apart the target and victim without prejudice. Because of the nature of this technique, normal spiritual attacks are rendered useless against it, as the distortion of spacetime and the air bending around to fill in the vacuum make it difficult for anything to pass through it unscathed, much less at all. In addition, because the hand strike works in this manner, it can even bypass normal defenses. As a true punch, Seireitou devotes his entire person into his Ikkotsu; turning into a "martial artist's punch". The difference between its jab and its punch is so vastly different that it can be compared to night and day.

Seireitou is also capable of literally cracking the space around himself by striking at the "backbone" of the dimensional space around him, which allows for several results to occur. It literally cracks dimensional space itself and can send devastating shock waves through the air in the direction it is facing. These shock waves are able to pass through and damage almost any substance, literally tearing it apart. Because of its enormous offensive power and quick speed, this attack can also double as a seemingly impenetrable defense, able to destroy or disrupt any attack before it hits Seireitou. He was also able to form a barrier of sorts, the vibrations of which protected him from being struck by even the form of a mental attack, as vibrations can disrupt brainwaves; this could provide an easy method of stopping any form of prolonged hypnosis.


 * Kotomukesen (言向戦, literally "fighting that causes submission though the power of words"): Battle is not only conducted on a physical basis. In the eyes of a true Master of Hakuda, concept itself can be fended off and dealt with as though it were an assault on his being. It is this level of ability that allows martial art masters to fend off illusions and even resist reality warping in the same way they would resist an enemy's physical attack. In the realm of spirits, there exists such a thing as the kotodama (言霊, "word spirit/soul"), which reflects upon the great power hidden in the meaning behind written and spoken words. Spellcastors, for centuries, have invoked the kotodama and manipulated it in order to cast curses and enchantments onto their enemies. One of the most prominent beings in the spirit world,, is known to possess tremendous capabilities in controlling both his own kotodama as well as the word spirits around him. To a master of the spiritual martial arts, carrying a wisdom that exceeds normal prowess, it is possible to view these abilities that target the kotodama in the same manner that they would handle an opponent seeking to subjugate them through a form of joint manipulation or grappling. And as such, this makes it possible for a martial artist of Seireitou's caliber to resist attacks meant to influence the kotodama. He may protect his very existence from an attempt made on the kotodama but he may equally target a kotodama before him offensively by striking upon it through the Kotomukesen; a martial art of the mind. In a similar way to how there are stances that set up for a martial artist to counter an enemy's attack, Seireitou can actually extend his absolute self-control to his own kotodama; making it possible to go as far as to even make his own name as a carrier for a counterattack, the consequences of which would bestow some sort of effect onto his victims. It is the act of actually projecting the will to strike through the kotodama itself. He is known to have done so with his moniker, "Shiroyasha", for his war-earned title carries the consequential counterattack of severely dislocating a certain part of a victim's body should they be unworthy of speaking the name. Furthermore, he has demonstrated the ability of striking down the word defining the parts of an opponent's body and other particular targets as well; one such example being their arm, which if the strike occurs successfully, results in the neutralization of that limb's existence as an "arm" and essentially renders it useless for it can no longer function as an arm. It is due to this conceptual martial art that he is capable of resisting techniques similar to those used by Ichibē himself.

Sōkotsu (双骨, "Double Bone"): Having been invented as the two-fisted variation of the Ikkotsu, the Sōkotsu had initially been considered to be simply a twin usage of the base Ikkotsu technique itself. Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had used this primitive method when he destroyed Wonderweiss Margela, which despite its considered inferiority, was enough to completely eradicate the latter in a single move despite the Arrancar's high-level hierro defense. However, according to Seireitou, Yamamoto had used merely a small fragment of Sōkotsu's true power in that aforementioned fight. The premise of Seireitou's Sōkotsu involves allowing the neijing internal force to leave both of the fists upon contact with the target, like two rivers converging into a structure and overwhelming it, which at a basic understanding of the technique would lead one to believe it would merely double the effect of a normal one-handed Ikkotsu. However, this is incorrect. The secret behind Seireitou's Sōkotsu is that once the two fists make contact and release the internal force, a collision of the two waves of neijing energy occurs, which when used by someone who is lacking in neijing mastery, would cause the two waves to collapse upon each other and weaken their Sōkotsu in the overall view. In the grand scheme of things, that particular Sōkotsu would be only slightly stronger than a master-level Ikkotsu. Seireitou boasts that his Sōkotsu has been perfected, in that when he preforms the technique, the opposing waves of neijing released from both fists do not interfere and weaken one another, but instead bounce off of eachother, causing both individual neijing forces to vibrate several additional times with each collision while within the body of the target, spreading out in the target's body in a very chaotic manner as opposed to the uniform spreading of the Ikkotsu technique which can lead to an even more disastrous result. The randomized movement of the neijing force waves make it so everything connected to the point of contact will be decimated onto utter ruin, seeking to assure that any target struck by the Sōkotsu are completely and thoroughly destroyed. The result of these collisions leads to the neijing forces actually empowering eachother, trading energy between eachother as they seek to decimate the opponent. Seireitou considers his Sōkotsu to be cruel in that should an opponent be somehow capable of retaining their body structure upon being initially struck by the Sōkotsu, the neijing forces would continue to bounce off one another by trading energy between one another due to their never-ending collisions and also feeding off of the victim's own internal energy, continuously wrecking havoc within the body until the target is ultimately and utterly obliterated until not a trace of them remains. It is due to this reason that Seireitou considers his Sōkotsu to be a weapon of supreme destruction and restricts himself from ever using it in a fight unless it is truly needed. Due to the degree of devastation that the Sōkotsu can wreak, Raian advised him against using it within the walls of Seireitei, where it could cause "unintended mass murder and devastation"; even when pitted against a multitude of opponents.

Tegatana (手刀 (てがたな), "Hand-Sword"): As one that has mastered the body to its peak, it is possible for one of Seireitou's stature to quite literally become a blade itself when fighting. Martial arts themselves manipulate the form in which power is delivered. They determine the method in which strength and power are distributed and manifested, and therefore, a Grandmaster of Hakuda has reached the point where they may control the method itself. In doing so, when they strike and thrust with their body, they do so with the mindset of "cutting". Their attacks are thrown with the intention of slashing the target rather than dealing concussive or projected damage; resulting in quite literally turning their own bodies into swords. When operating under the mindset of behaving as a sword, their bodies reigned in by the force of their will respond appropriately to this change in thought, transforming the body's properties to fit that of a blade; allowing for the skin to become harder than even an Arrancar's when engaging actual blades in combat. It is possible for Seireitou's hand to contend with a swordsman's sharp blade, in the same manner as if he were holding a sword and clashing with said swordsman himself. However, this only becomes possible for as long as he retains the mindset and maintains his will, for if he were to be caught off-guard, no longer would his body be afforded the properties of a blade. Because his body behaves like that of a sword, it is possible for Seireitou to also conduct techniques through his own hands. Derived from the technique created by, Seireitou can perform using his own hand rather than that of a sword. By holding his hand upwards, forming the knifehand gesture, he slashes downward and causes everything in his hand's wake to become slashed apart. It is capable of reaching an incredible range, completely slicing apart all things in its path. Comparably, it can also be executed using a kick rather than a hand strike.


 *  (鏡開, "Mirror Opening"): Given its name after a traditional ritual conducted by the Japanese people, the Kagamibiraki is an advanced technique capable of frightening application when utilized with the right intentions. Physically, it has been demonstrated by souls of basic martial art competence, allowing them to puncture their targets with the tips of their fingers and then they proceed to rip apart their target through sheer force of strength. But it has the potential to go further. Its very nature is reflected in the name from which it is derived. The people conducting the ritual would break open a mochi with their bare hands to usher in the new year; with their own hands, they tear away at the seams so that they may welcome and enter their future. Seireitou may resonate with this concept, as it is the purpose of the Kagamibirai, to perform miraculous feats. At its core, it is a technique in which Seireitou strikes at the core of his target and rips it apart; whatever it may be. Seireitou commonly utilizes the Kagamibiraki as a form of creating makeshift portals to other dimensions, similar to that of, by literally thrusting his fingers into the dimensional space and tearing it open to reveal the chaotic reishi world of the Garganta. In doing so, he may use this in order to travel between worlds, such as the and  freely. But it is not simply this. With the same concept, Seireitou can tear apart and separate that which is connected but was once originally multiple entities. Bonds themselves can be broken by taking hold of the bond's center and then tearing it apart. Shinigami and Zanpakutō are no exception, as even their bond can be thrust through and subsequently torn apart, thus breaking their connection.

Nukite (貫手, literally "Crossbeam Hand"): Originally belonging to the discipline of Karate, having later been adopted by many other martial arts, the Nukite is an open-hand strike that makes use of the fighter's fingers as a means of combat. Essentially, it is a strike that operates by an incrementally decreasing number of fingers in the form of knife hands in which each strike with its particular number of fingers has a specific purpose. Having been credited with its invention and integration into Karate's original chinese form, "Te", Seireitou is famous throughout Soul Society for his Nukite technique, which was said to have slain thousands of Hollow and Quincy, among others, in his time. Nukite has been often described as the tip of a swordmaster's blade in Seireitou's hands, operating with the same idea as it can cut through nearly anything with incredible precision and accuracy. However, its power and aim are dependent on the number of fingers at which Seireitou uses to preform the technique. In the hands of a Grandmaster, the Nukite ceases to simply exist as a technique and becomes its own fighting style altogether. Nukite makes the act of Seireitou using a weapon meaningless due to how simply amazingly powerful its cutting ability is as it can tear apart even iron and steel if it should lay before him as a target. The idea behind Nukite is a technique that can void all defenses that lay before the strike. However, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. It is a technique that can ideally break through any technique that should oppose it; whether it be an offensive opponent or a defensive target in nature, a "true" Nukite should be able to destroy it no matter the obstacle. The most famous use of the Nukite in all of Soul Society's history was when Seireitou, during his tenure as Captain, had used it with both hands to demolish Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's Sōkotsu strike; a collision which led to a massive explosion within Seireitei's walls and severely damaged one of the Captain-Commander's arms in the process, whilst leaving the silver-haired Captain unfazed in the aftermath. It can be said that the Nukite, or rather Seireitou's Nukite, surpasses the neijing techniques Ikkotsu and Sōkotsu in theory. The alteration of numbers in the fingers each Nukite technique uses will often correlation with a specific degree of destruction and accuracy that Seireitou intends to inflict upon the target. With each finger added to the Nukite, the attack focuses more on bludgeoning force as a means of tearing through the opposition while the technique with fewer fingers focuses more heavily on penetration and cutting. In addition to the difference in numbers of fingers, the original Nukite that Seireitou invented has almost thousands of different advanced techniques that utilize the former attack's principles as a base.


 * Ippon Nukite (一本貫手, "One-Finger Crossbeam Hand"): Not Yet Revealed

Manifesting Method
Muken (無拳, "Empty Fist"; literally "fist of nothingness"): Reserved only for those whom have reached the absolute pinnacle of Hakuda, there exists styles of such a combat field that allow for actions that are "beyond the physical". Those who reach this level are known to have ascended beyond the realm of standard hand-to-hand combat and have reached a precipice far beyond standard comprehension. No longer do their movements become restricted by physical limitations, nor by any form of distance, nor their techniques by logic, as they completely abandon causality. In doing so, the warrior no longer becomes a simple fighter, but a weapon of force in its purest sense. He is the embodiment of an army, taking the form of a single man, turning any form of confrontation into either a massacre, genocide, or a war; perhaps even each of them in a single instance. Having disregarded cause in and of itself, the Hakudaka is capable of producing techniques without the actual need for physical engagement of the opponent(s). The attack truly occurs, the block truly occurs, the joint lock truly occurs... but also does not. The Hakuda Grandmaster needs not to undergo the cause behind what his attacks can do, as now there only exists what the technique is and the end result of unleashing it upon an opponent. Seireitou explains that it is the act of materializing one's will to "strike", the attack crushing down and tearing apart any and all opposition that should meet Seireitou's perception. Muken is essentially a representation of Seireitou's own body, manifested through force of will, which can materialize as either his hands or even his legs and feet. These often follow along with the motion of his own body, to enact the will to strike rather than the attempt of striking. Anything that can be interpreted as an attack can be blocked and anything that is a target will be annihilated without prejudice. The empty fist knows only to do as Seireitou wills it to, allowing him to crush the forces of any substance, be it even an element of nature itself. Even illusions can be broken and hypnosis shattered by the Muken, as even Kidō cannot hope to stand against it in overwhelming superiority as it is normally accustomed to. He can even tear apart a Haien in the form of a massive wave of flames without fear of its great heat, as the heat that the spell emits, just as the actual flames themselves, suffers total destruction at the hands of Muken. Those of similar skill class are capable of perceiving the attacks, to some degree, but to most opponents, it would appear as though the technique had occurred without Seireitou actually having preformed said technique; at least, to their knowledge. Seireitou has demonstrated the ability to apply force distribution with the Muken in the same manner that he would normally do with his own punches. The result in doing so makes a single Muken palm strike possess incredible explosive qualities that can destroy an opponent with a single shot should they be struck head-on.


 * Banshō Kyōkuha Nukite (万象杏都ハ貫手, "All-Covering Ultimate Destruction Crossbeam Hand"): Not Yet Revealed

Dragon Claw (竜の鉤爪 (ドラゴン・クローズ), Ryū no Kagizume; literally "Claws of the Dragon"): Rather then using the Ikkotsu as a punch, Seireitou can instead utilize the strike as a powerful gripping technique. It is an absolute teaching of martial arts that finds many of its derivative origins among the human arts but the purest of its expression was taken from studying under the. Seireitou mastered it through both observing the dragons themselves and his own personal tutelage under. A dragon's might extends to the entire world, for they are the masters of the domain and the most formidable of all spellcastors; all the universe bows to their whim, as their very presence demands sovereignty. When striking with their claws, that same dominance reveals itself as the master may pluck at a bird in the sky even without physically being able to touch it; it may flap its wings as hard as it can, but as if bound to the earth, it will never soar again so long as the claws hold it in their grasp. Similarly, the master can grip the bird and pull it down to its hand as though it were to fly there itself, unable to fly away as if tied up. If one were to swipe at a beast before them, they would be able to pull upon it as though one were holding a chain around its throat. But the true measure of the dragon claws technique is that it is the origin from which all grappling and submission techniques are born; at least when it comes to concept. Seireitou may grip the arm of a foe and that arm might as well be sealed away. He might grip one's neck and their breathing no longer allowed to ascend nor descend between the world and their lungs. Holding one down so that they are incapable of moving, one could relate such a skill to the strength behind. Both the fundamental concept behind all trapping movements and yet the highest tier of such techniques, the dragon claws are a force that can not be escaped; like the reach of Buddha's palm, which is said to be as large as the mountains themselves, used to imprison the Monkey King.

Dragon Tail (竜の尾 (ドラゴン・テール), Ryū no Bi; literally "Tails of the Dragon")

Responding Method
Suiryūsei (水流静, "Water Flow Control"; literally "commanding the movement of the water"): Truly one of the ultimate expressions of soft-type martial arts, the Suiryūsei is a technique designed by Seireitou himself and is acclaimed to reach a pinnacle of Hakuda when used by a person of his precipice of power and technique. In accordance with soft-type martial arts, the key is facing an opponent without intending to fight force with seemingly superior force, but rather to use the target's own power against them in some advantageous manner. Therefore, the Suiryūsei is a technique that finds the most effective method at allowing Seireitou to express this soft-type motive at the most extreme level possible. While the technique requires an absolute stillness of the mind and of the energy within the body, through the concept of Seihaku, Seireitou had mastered his own discipline to the point that he may engage in intensive combat with his soul excited through the use of Dōhaku without causing the Suiryūsei to lose potency. However, Seireitou gravely cautions those who attempt to use his technique to maintain complete control over their emotions and to keep an absolutely calm mind; otherwise, the skill is doomed to fail and the user may possibly lose their life. It is only because of Seireitou's unrivaled skill as a Hakuda Grandmaster that he finds himself capable of using Suiryūsei without fear of such a possibility; as if it were second-nature to the man. Seireitou comments that the Suiryūsei's full power is only possible when used by someone that has mastered the Seihaku; ideally making this technique one that exists on the precipice of a Grandmaster. After learning that Minato Kuramoto had become a Hakudaka whom uses the basic form of Seihaku, Seireitou had taught him the Suiryūsei, to which the former is capable of using it on a basic level due to lacking the level of prowess that his master does. It operates according to three general principles, or rather "levels", which follow one another in a sequence.

Understanding of the Flow: Comprehending the opponent's flow of energy, or rather understanding one's opponent and feeling their rhythm, is a critical necessity in truly mastering the martial arts. It is through such a feat that one is capable of perceiving the nature of their target's spirit. An untrained Hakudaka attempting to use this level of Suiryūsei may actually inadvertently lose concentration based on what they discover through this newfound perception. In addition, for any normal user, such an act takes a considerable amount of time, as they would need to fight their opponent (or rather, "spar" with them) for a sufficient length in order to truly comprehend their fighting flow so that Suiryūsei will become effective. However, to Seireitou, who can instantaneously discover information about his target within seconds of confrontation, such an act bears no time restraints. The feat of understanding and analysis is child's play when dealing with a person of Seireitou's level of prowess, meaning that Suiryūsei's first level is something almost instantaneously activated and completed in accordance with Seireitou's whim and motive alone.


 * Kaerikotsu (帰り骨, "Returning Bone"): Possibly the most devastating and dangerous defensive technique in Seireitou's Hakuda arsenal, the Kaerikotsu is a nearly invincible defense that employs the concept of neijing. By the utilization of his own neijing energy from within his body, being used as a bounce-off point, Seireitou can make it so that the physical attack of an opponent is unable to harm him and instead causes it to harm the attacker. In allowing the physical force to make contact with a part of Seireitou's body, the point of contact being the opponent's own body part being used to carry out the attack, the force of that strike reverberates in the opposite direction of the applied force, thus causing an immediate responsive counterforce in equal magnitude to the strength used by the attacker, causing that force to vibrate back through the opponent's body in the same manner it was being thrust outwards. Such a feat leads to the opponent's force returning into their body, fanning out inwards as if Seireitou himself carried out the assault, resulting in the opponent's internal biological systems being harmed severely, possibily even destroyed, in direct correlation to the amount of force that they themselves used to attack with. In essence, an opponent's force is returned in equal magnitude without Seireitou needing to expend any energy himself, or rather insignificant portions of energy, to bounce off the assault. The same action can be carried out if an opponent were to strike Seireitou with a weapon, causing said weapon to break apart if used without care. An opponent of significantly weaker power, attacking Seireitou with his Zanpakutō, would end up causing his own Zanpakutō to shatter into pieces while subsequently damaging his own hands from the naive assault. Against very specific energy attacks, such as the Getsuga Tenshō which deals a direct linear assault, Seireitou has been shown to use this defense to make it seem as though the attack had no effect whatsoever, despite whatever amount of power that is applied into the attack. The Kaerikotsu is very easily one of Seireitou's most invincible defenses.


 * External Manifestation: It is possible for Seireitou to materialize the Kaerikotsu through the very force of his killer intent. Through a mere gaze, he can erect what seems to resemble a barrier composed of pure spiritual energy, but in actuality, is but pure force of will that serves as the Kaerikotsu's medium. Once an opponent's attack makes contact, the power from their attack is apparently "soaked" into the wall of force and then exerted back outwards in a truly magnificent explosion; carrying the exact same properties as the original Kaerikotsu, however, the return force is less gracefully expressed. Since the original technique allowed for Seireitou to choose how to return the force back onto his source, thus making it possible for him to adjust the attack's properties in any way he sees fit, this external use merely smashes the force back onto its originator with the intent of delivering the same amount of force at them. While it is unrefined, Seireitou states that the immediate explosion makes it impossible for an opponent to counter the Kaerikotsu's return, thus ending any hopes of "playing ping-pong" with the attack in question.


 * Suikyōdachi (水面立, "Water Surface Stance"): Developed for the purpose of serving as a stepping stone between the first and second levels of Suiryūsei, the Suikyōdachi is a defensive stance that specializes in redirecting the distribution of force by an opponent's incoming physical strikes. It is called a "stance of no stance" (無立の立, mudachi no dachi), as it does not take any discernible nor studied body position and often changes in response to the situation. Anything that enters within the designated radius of influence from the user's center is vulnerable to its directed force being compromised at the moment it comes into contact with their body, provided that they are aware of the attack itself and its nature. The force behind the attack is carried into the body via the positioning of the user, due to the characteristics of this stance, and can then be channeled through the body to another outlet, such as the opposing hand or even one of their legs, and subsequently delivered onto the opponent as a strike of equal force. Releasing the force in a timely manner is crucial because if this force is carried for too long, the user can actually cause internal damage to themselves; though, to Seireitou, such a consequence can be effortlessly diverted. Additionally, by simply turning the wrist and the subsequent turn of the palm or fist when blocking an opponent's strike, one can actually release the blocked transmission of force akin to the act of allowing gas to escape a vacuum-sealed container through a small opening. The opponent, in turn, experiences a feeling as though their attack was "absorbed" because they can clearly see their strike making contact but cannot feel their attacks actually connecting. Seireitou uses his open hands to divert away the force of an opponent's physical attacks. By twisting his arms inward and outward, the subsequent motion causes his open palms to follow with that and causes all direct enemy attack forces to be diverted off into various directions. In this sense, Seireitou does not meet power with power but rather expends no energy at all, merely causing an opponent's strikes to bounce away and miss entirely, making them feel as though they are succeeding in tiring out Seireitou, but rather they are wasting their own energy. He explains that it is meant for "occupying an enemy's territory" and to a master of his stature, any enemy that enters this space is almost guaranteed to be defeated. It is likened to a physical usage of shogi, a game which involves positioning yourself at a point where you are at the greatest advantage. It is seen as a large sphere of reiatsu that surrounds the upper body of the user, and its size is directly associated with the user's mastery. Klaus, being a master of Hakuda in his own right, saw no reasonable opening when confronting Seireitou, feeling almost frightened at the size of the sphere when crafted by Seireitou. The true purpose of Suikyōdachi lies in the power to manifest the strikes of Muken instinctively, so as to crush all manner of opposition that move within its range. It stands as the first line of defense against all manner of attack. When mastered to a certain extent, according to Seireitou, the Suikyōdachi can be reduced to a thin layer above the skin for the purpose of dodging the opponent's attacks at the last possible moment. An absolutely calm mind is necessary to use it, as even a slight degree of emotion will disrupt the technique. This is because the technique involves understanding one's opponent and feeling their rhythm.

Merging with the Flow: Otherwise known as the concept of Aiki (合気, literally "Joining Spirit"), it is perhaps the most commonly used level of the Suiryūsei in Seireitou's hands, the second level involves using the knowledge of the opponent's flow of energy and entering the flow; essentially becoming one with the target and their movements. While a normal user interprets this as simply combining the movements of the opponent with their own, to serve as a set-up for the third level, Seireitou has taken the second level to an extreme measure by completely mastering the idea of "merging with the flow". Suiryūsei will allow Seireitou to effectively enter the energy flow or movement of anything that he identifies as the target. Whether it be a substance, an enemy's attack or defense, a technique, a weapon, an opponent themselves, or anything in between, everything that exists has a flow of energy which Suiryūsei can analyze and then allow Seireitou to enter within its flow wavelength, essentially merging with it. The results that occur from such a union are often random and various, difficult as it ranges from target to target, as the two or more souls attempt a forced joining for an indeterminate amount of time. In the situation of Seireitou merging with an opponent, the two beings can actually become one, with certain traits overlapping and changing in the unison. Depending on the willpower of the individual or collective target(s), Seireitou may be capable of actually completely controlling their body and mind, allowing him to act whilst in such a unified state. He'd even be capable of accessing their abilities and memories, among other things, so long as it is within some degree of the scope that consist of his own powers. This is often represented by their hair becoming white in coloration. To an opposite extreme, the Suiryūsei's second level can even allow Seireitou merge his being with the intended target and render his influence silent within them, in order to ideally hide within the target and await a desired moment for escape. This proves quite helpful in pursuing an ambush or sneak attack. It appears that the technique does have a fail safe that allows Seireitou to escape and "break" the unification whenever he should deem necessary, even if the target is aware of his presence within them and are capable of struggling for control. However, he does note that against certain opponents whom could command control over energy flow that would rival his own, even an act of escape from the union would be close to impossible. It has been likened to that of the Hōgyoku in that the barriers between the souls of Seireitou and the target(s) are removed temporarily in order to allow for a successful merging. However, in order to prevent "soul suicide" from occurring, Seireitou maintains stability through his own will, and because of this, the complete merging that involves taking control of the target may only last for a specific length of time. The second level of the Suiryūsei was crucial in Seireitou's attempt to master the Shukuchi, as it allowed him to identify the "world's flow" as his target while merging with it, making it possible to engage in instantaneous teleportation.
 * Shūran Suigetsu (収覧水月, "Grasping the Water Moon"): Based upon Suiryūsei's second stage, which after one learns the flow of their opponent, they can now merge with the flow and move together with them as though they were one and the same. Seireitou had developed this technique after having thoroughly studied Quanyin's observation methods. This technique is considered the "ultimate defense" as it, in a theoretical perspective, essentially permits an ability to avoid any and all attacks. After Seireitou manages to read and analyze the flow of his opponent, he can actually will his body to avoid the source of the flow he has managed to understand. It is the same as when a martial artist manages to study their opponent and move in such a way that allows them to counter the pattern of attacks used by their opponent. When he learns of an opponent's flow through Suiryūsei, it becomes possible to simply will himself to dodge that particular array of patterns and flow of energy, even without perceiving their specific existence; making it impossible for that individual to actually come into contact with him. Ideally, one can consider Shūran Suigetsu to be akin to a barrier of sorts that immediately trigger any necessary movement on the part of Seireitou, even if his senses do not catch wind of the move, to evade and dodge the opponent safely. It is even possible to weave together counterattacks into the Shūran Suigetsu's initial dodge to further enhance its efficiency in combat.

Disruption of the Flow: The true nature of Suiryūsei's third level is rather unclear, especially when in Seireitou's hands due to the latter often stopping the technique after the second level. The idea behind the third level of the Suiryūsei is utter disruption and destruction of the target's flow or movements. While it hasn't been outright used by Seireitou in any notable confrontation, he expresses that it serves as a true finishing move, especially in his hands. The third level is also the most difficult to learn how to utilize, regardless of the method at which it is used. It appears that he dislikes having to resort to the third level of Suiryūsei because it can lead to the deaths of his targets; although, it appears that he can tailor the Suiryūsei at this stage to instead deal some sort of significant effect onto the target instead of causing their end.

Warding Off Method
Ryūshu (流手, "Flow Hand"; literally "Hand of Flowing")

Hōkōryū (方向流, "Directional Methods"; literally "method of direction"): Everything is energy, whether it may take the form of sentient beings, nonliving materials, the supernatural, or even the intangible substances such as thoughts themselves. In the soft-style martial arts, the use of redirection, manipulation, and overall avoidance is strictly emphasized of the opponent(s), whom of which may be considered simply a form of energy to the eyes of the martial artist. Therefore, it is possible to apply these teachings in a manner similar to the concept behind the Muken art, allowing a being of Seireitou's ability to move beyond the physical and preform absolutely mysterious and mystical feats. To the untrained eye, one may assume he is utilizing a form of Kidō, but rest assured, it is still Hakuda that is being expressed. Without requiring any form of actual physical contact, Seireitou can actually provide "direction" to any form of energy that he may deem. Be it the physical strike of an opponent, an attack of spiritual means (Kidō, Cero, et cetera), or otherwise, Hōkōryū will allow for the projection of Seireitou's martial will, resulting in the application of such techniques of manipulation. Aikido teaches the act of avoidance, aiming to take advantage of timing and footwork to use an opponent's movement to not only dodge an assault but to assume a position that can be deemed the most beneficial. Jujutsu teaches the act of manipulation. Even when confronting an opponent of seemingly great danger, such as one weilding a weapon when the martial artist is unarmed, this style teaches techniques that will for besting the opponent in any possible manner; disregarding, at times, moral sense entirely. Without a doubt, all of these teachings and those that follow similar traits (in other words, any form of soft martial arts) can be used through this mysterious method of materializing the will to "throw" and/or "redirect", among others. In truth, the art of Hōkōryū stands to be the "evolved" form of all soft-type martial arts. Seireitou describes the feats produced by Hōkōryū by first explaining that all forms of energy function by following a path; in other words, everything operates by the rules of the energy flow of which it naturally exists within or has been willed into. His will literally materializes into a "flow", providing a new path for the energy to follow. The act of doing so allows for a variety of abilities on the user's part. Seireitou can intercept energy attacks without a single physical motion, causing it to completely change course from striking him to being redirected according to his whim. It is also possible to even absorb the energy within him, literally causing the flow that his will materializes to move within him and to become "trapped", allowing for some form of either present or future use; symbolizing the concept of joint locks. When using Hōkōryū against an attack produced by, for example, a Grandmaster of Kidō, it quite literally becomes a "tug-o-war" between whose will maintains dominance over the technique; a struggle which can have disastrous effects to the battlefield between and around the two or more combatants. Though it does not have a specific name, Seireitou had demonstrated the ability to use his Hakuda Grandmaster technique, Hōkōryū, to actually generate massive structures or constructs that follow an energy flow of his design out of the energy that he has successfully imposed his will over and took advantage over for his own devices. This was first displayed during a full-scale battle against several powerful beings, in which he drew in the attacks of each and every failed attempt at overwhelming the silver-haired man with brute force, and created a construct of this energy around his person that stood for the purpose of a nearly invincible defense; in direct proportion to the amount of energy drawn into it. Bending and curling around his body, the Hōkōryū begins to redefine the original energy flow of the absorbed energy into what Seireitou himself deems it to do, turning it into a power that is all his own.
 * Kyūshū Dageki (吸収打撃, "Absorbing the Blow"; literally meaning "to absorb the impact of the blow"): In the martial arts, it is common during sparring sessions to practice the art of absorbing the blow of the enemy. It is a defensive maneuver which weakens the effects of an opponent's strike through their methods of conditioning, allowing for a counterattack which can be delivered during a window of opportunity. However, in the hands of a master that has transcended the physical, allowing them to perceive even mental and spiritual assaults as a strike and respond appropriately, they are able to take the definition of "absorbing a blow" to its utmost levels. In doing so, the act of absorbing a blow becomes possible for not just a physical attack but any form of attack. Whether it'd be a Zanpakutō technique, a Hollow's technique, Kidō, and even Quincy arrows, anything that is classified as reiatsu/reiryoku or uses reiatsu/reiryoku as its primary component is susceptible to being absorbed so long as it is perceived as a threat by Seireitou.


 * Taiyōbu (太陽舞, "Sun Dance"; literally "Martial Art of the Sun"): Ever since the days of the ancients, man has observed the elements of nature in order to survive. The ever-present danger that surrounded mankind threatened their survival in many different forms, until such a point that they had no choice but to study their enemy. But what was once their foe would also serve as their greatest teacher, for it is through this initial observation that the first martial arts were born. Watching as the waves danced between the shores — the tides in a push and pull relationship — were among the first teachers that brought forth the birth of the soft martial arts. Of course, this was only possible because water and its movements were visible. The ancients understood how they could gain strength and power from mimicking nature's behavior but even so, the almighty source of all power still alluded their mortal grasps: the Sun itself. Of course, as the centuries passed and turned into millennia, the power of the Sun could be harnessed with indirect methods; regardless, the martial arts could not benefit from the Sun's power. But this was because, not due to any fallacies that lie with the martial arts themselves, the mortals that attempted to practice them with their limited capabilities; weaknesses not found in the spirits that attained a precipice of martial art mastery that could only be realized due to their condition. The ancient spirits, devoid of mortal flaws, studied the core of the Sun's powers; that of the great lady Amaterasu. How was it that she was able to shine a light that carried such devastating power, and yet, remained at harmony with all of nature? Despite the overwhelming heat of the Sun's light and the power of fire itself, the fragile system of nature remained peaceful with the great circle in the sky that produced such immense heat. It was through this observation of the goddess that the ancient spirits mimicked the relationship of nature and the Sun's heat, learning to become harmonious with sources of heat and fire, which led to them actually manifesting flames from their body as they pulled in heat from the Sun and brought forth flames during their dance. Of course, this was not the true beauty of their progress. The ancients reached the point where heat suddenly did not affect them in the way that it was originally meant. This was because they were able to enter a new relationship in which they would be at peace with heat and fire, rather than at odds or as a subservient relation, and in turn, the creation of the Taiyōbu was possible. They danced with the Sun's light, as though they were dancing with Amaterasu herself, allowing them to draw upon her power while simultaneously remaining in harmony with the great circle's heat. Their understanding allowed them to further extend their applications to any source of heat; manipulating not the actual flames themselves but the heat that emanated from them. Heat would no longer be their foe but their companion in the dance of the Sun. They had become embodiments of a martial art concept that emphasized mimicry of nature's behavior, which allowed them to establish harmony between themselves and heat itself, but in the troughs of history, the ancient art was believed that have been lost; the members of the Sun Warrior Temple that have existed for well over five hundred years were known to practice a of the original craft. However, in the pursuit of his training, however, Seireitou unearthed the original martial art in all of its purity and became its only master.

Shizenryoku (自然力, "Power of Nature"): It is known as the "power of kami that arrives from the force of nature" (自然力から神の力, Shizenryokukara Kami no Chikara).

Tenchi Ryūha (天地流派, "Flow of Heaven and Earth"; literally meaning "the flowing thought of all nature")

Fūrinkazan (風林火山, literally meaning "as fast as the wind, as quiet as the forest, as daring as fire, and immovable as the mountain")

 (気周波, Reishūha; literally meaning "Soul Flow"): Invented by Seireitou, which is said to have made his name known throughout the martial arts world, the Spirit Wave is rumored to be the absolute pinnacle of Hakuda that a Grandmaster can reach.
 *  (気流掌握, literally "Holding onto the Flowing Spirit")

Passive Method
Control of the Inner World: To have reached the level of mastery that Seireitou has achieved in Hakuda, it is indisputable that one of such caliber would have completely mastered themselves to the point of absolute self-control. This extends not only to physical capability but to the mindscape as well. Souls possess within them an "inner world" (内界, Naikai) which is the manifestation of their mindscape; structured after their personality, and as such, it is unique to each individual. The inner world changes with the individual's mental and emotional state, most noticeably in weather conditions, such as a raging rainstorm when one is enraged or a world submerged underwater when depressed. However, for one such as Seireitou, who has mastered a complete sense of self-control, the inner world itself — which is a manifestation of the soul — becomes susceptible to command on a whim. With this degree of control, Seireitou is able to actually rewrite the very dimensions and characteristics of his inner world to create an entirely new world within him. In doing so, he is able to actually draw people into his inner world in the same way he absorbs one's techniques through his Hōkōryū; connecting with them on a spiritual and mental level so as to pull them into his inner world in the same way a master of Aikido would draw an opponent into their personal space — otherwise known as the "sphere of strength". When this happens, Seireitou's physical body remains behind and serves as a sort of portal, pulling anybody who touches his body after the initial shifting has occurred into the inner world.


 * World of Lava


 * World of Snow

Art of Kata
 (瞬閧, "Flash War Cry"): Though Seireitou is suggested to be capable of accessing different forms of Shunkō, as per his mastery over kata, he typically utilizes that which best reflects his own personality and characteristics. With respect to his passion and unrivaled fighting spirit, which are as unyielding as the illuminating rays of the sun, Seireitou's spiritual pressure aura embodies the concepts of fire and heat. His spiritual pressure surrounds his body and erupts outwards as a tempest of white flames which surround him as if to symbolize the sun itself. The heat produced by his Shunkō is so great that it induces an intense increase in temperature of the entire vicinity where his spiritual pressure blankets, being likened to the effects of the infamous. Similarly, it should be noted that the white fire produced by Seireitou's Shunkō is of a heat far too great to take the form of actual fire. In truth, it is not fire, but the flowing nature adopted by his spiritual pressure that has taken on the appearance of white flames. Torrents of magnificent white flames are unleashed from Seireitou that bear an immense intensity that can seemingly destroy any adversary that lay in its path. These flames are remarked as being powerful enough, at the height of Seireitou's fighting spirit, to be capable of rivaling the Sōkyoku. Thus, the potency of his burning spiritual pressure is directly correlated to the degree of the strength of his will to fight. These white flames can ideally vaporize a victim's soul when consumed by the blaze, emitting a heat that can completely evaporate even a being of considerable spiritual power; seeking to literally burn them until nothing of them remains, not even their soul. This suggests that those killed by the Shunkō's wrathful flames have no hope of ever reincarnating. It is akin to how a Quincy kills their target. Koga Tensei called it the act of "burning the soul away". When the Shunkō is in use, an immense burning aura of white flames surrounds Seireitou which, when directed by his hands, can disintegrate nearly anything, reducing it into nothing more than ash. It has the additional effect of engulfing the surrounding landscape in white flames. Only powerful fighters such as Jūsuke Kannogi and Méi-Fēng can resist it, but even then only indirectly. It's power is enough to fight against the force of several Captains simultaneously.

As the Shunkō is a skill born from Hakuda disciplines, it is possible for Seireitou to utilize it in conjunction with his other martial art skills. His Muken strikes, for instance, become literal white-hot burning fists that incinerate anything touched by them. He has shown basic use of Shunkō by enveloping himself in a white flame aura, allowing his flight and movement to seemingly become more destructive, as he is capable of spreading his spiritual pressure — given that it embodies the very nature of fire itself — as he moves forward, becoming an "unstoppable spreading fire storm" as noted. By surrounding himself in the flames, he could provide an ultimate defense. As these flames are part of him, he may manipulate them via mental thought or even by directing their movement with his hands. By clapping together his hands, for instance, the flames form a large barrier of white flames that surround a number of selected targets, designated for the purpose of trapping opponents for long periods of time. Nothing much is known about the limits of its defensive power, though it possesses a rather immense duration and durability. It appears to act on its own accord, manipulating its own fire in order to ensure that its prisoners remain within its confines, even if means destroying them outright. However, it seems that if Seireitou is within range of the technique, he can mentally control its actions. These are, but, trivial uses of this power however. Seireitou can surround himself in a large pillar of these flames as well, similar to how the Wandenreich use in the same way. In addition to the damage it can inflict, this has the psychological effect of causing enemies to hesitate to attack him.


 * Amaterasu Senkei (天照殲景, "War Form of Amaterasu")

Kata of the Thousand Arms Kannon (千手観音の型, Senju Kannon no Kata; literally ''"Way of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin)

Kata of the Dragon (竜の型, Ryū no Kata; literally "The Dragon's Way of Doing")
 * Kinryu no Mai (金龍の舞, "Dance of the Golden Dragon")


 *  (裏破道: 次の道 — 紅滅却, "Hidden Way of Destruction: Second Path — Crimson Annihilation")
 *  (裏破道: 三の道 — 鉄風殺, "Hidden Way of Destruction: Third Path — Iron Wind Murder")

Zanpakutō
Hanullim (하늘님 (魂元), Hanūrimu; Korean for "Source of all Being", Japanese for "Lord over all Skies"): The manifestation of his Sōzōshin powers as well as his status as a Kitsune, was regarded in the history of  as one of the most powerful among all other  yet also its most malicious; a fitting companion for the man renowned in legend as the White Demon that struck fear in the hearts of his enemies. Even when it would remain in its sealed form, a powerful aura of pure intent surrounded the Zanpakutō which tended to fluctuate in its nature. Its power was respected so highly that most opponents feared its strength; to such a point that legions of enemy forces would actually retreat upon hearing its release command. In his younger days, Hanullim took on the form of a nōdachi in its sealed state; possessing a white hilt sporting unique complex shapes on it. But as he changed as a person and feverishly pursued the art of, so too did his Zanpakutō reflect this change and lost its sword form. That which was once known as Hanullim now exists as a pair of black tekkō arm protectors which are worn consistently and are normally hidden under Seireitou's bell-shaped sleeves. The arm guards would lose their blackness and become a pure white whenever the presence of Hanullim would make itself known; reflecting Seireitou's spiritual power coloration. At the edge closest to his hands, the left tekkō sports two kanji that stand on opposite corners of one another; Aramitama (荒魂) and Nigimitama (和魂). On the right tekkō, in the exact same manner, the characters for Kushimitama (奇魂) and Sakimitama (幸魂) are etched onto it. These four represent the ideals of courage, camaraderie, wisdom, and love respectively. The meaning of the symbols lies in the belief that when all four of these traits are united in one person, they unite to form a powerful balance within the soul that can be used for good or evil.

Seireitou and Hanullim have always shared a peculiar relationship. Due to its malicious nature, Hanullim was always a Zanpakutō that tried to obstruct Seireitou in a generally progressive manner as the centuries went by. While he always seemed to work alongside his master, Hanullim never seemed to open up to Seireitou, despite a clear willingness to fight off his enemies together with him and to grant him access to the sword's abilities. But even so, the two had a strained relationship that never seemed to improve. Hanullim's interference and blatant attempts at Seireitou's heart during the most inopportune moments was an issue that needed to be resolved. It was due to this conflict that Seireitou pursued the solitary craft of so that he could reduce his use of Hanullim, thus preventing the trickster Zanpakutō from interfering in his affairs. This began to create a distance between them that had lasted for many centuries, almost spanning a thousand years, but Hanullim continued to keep his eye trained on his master.

It was only in the years following the incident with that Hanullim had finally revealed his true motives to Seireitou. Much like the relationship between a martial arts master and their disciple, Hanullim's role in Seireitou's life was to push him to grow and become stronger by any means necessary; even if it meant sending him to the very brink of his humanity. It was this relationship between the two that allowed Seireitou to realize his true power as a Hakuda Grandmaster, and once he managed to pave his own way, he had accomplished all that Hanullim wanted of him. It was finally time for the two to part ways, just as the disciple who has completed his master's teachings must now depart and continue down his own path, becoming stronger on his own. In vanishing from Seireitou, Hanullim left him with its power, in order to inherit them as his own strength. It is because of this that Seireitou can no longer access and. The tekkō that once housed Hanullim's inner spirit is no more than a mere trinket to serve as a memento of the spirit that served as his final teacher, though Seireitou continues to wear them often.

After their eventual parting, Seireitou had now completely devoted himself to the practice of. His vast power and skill in the field had reached such a point that he was renowned as the foremost master of the craft in all of. Seireitou was now capable of tapping into latent strength and deep immense power located in the recesses of his soul through his own efforts, allowing him to access his state. Having come to fully master the form, it no longer exists as a conventional transformation, but rather for Seireitou, it represents him reaching his full might. When he pushes himself to his utmost limits, his soul as an indomitable martial artist that instinctively challenges his limits responds in kind by essentially transcending him and subsequently causes him to enter the Shinuchi form. It is said to be a manifestation of his martial spirit that takes on a physical form and given actualization. Seireitou's spiritual power reaches a heightened plateau where most individuals are incapable of him, almost akin to that of the  or the  themselves, unless he intentionally lowers himself into their dimension so that they can spiritually perceive him. Despite this, it seems that his power has a strange presence to it that still interacts with those that cannot understand it. What seems to be consensus among those within its presence is that it is noticeably overbearing but has absolutely no orientation. The harder somebody attempts to comprehend it, the further from understanding they will be. According to Seireitou, his power is the purest representation of the martial arts essence itself; when an intention is not given to it, the very existence of martial arts is but a concept that encompasses both everything and nothing.

What makes his Shinuchi so unique is that it does not present itself in the same way as a standard transformation normally would. Rather than an explosive sequence of spiritual power as he enters the Shinuchi form, it starts by simply manifesting as a faint hue that surrounds his body and subtly shrouds him. This only occurs when he begins to push himself to his limits and a subsequently strong desire within him flares to the forefront as he pushes himself further, reaching the pinnacle of his power and moving beyond that point. Seireitou's Shinuchi is not meant to be something that is apart from him nor a separate source of power that he must expend effort in order to reach, but it can best be described as the point in which Seireitou demonstrates his fullest capabilities. His clothes are generally darkened and take on a more grayish black color, along with a black hakama, held together by a firm rope belt around his waist. A black mantle with burnt edges is draped over his shoulders, that stays connected together by what appears to be a tomoe necklace. The most drastic change that occurs is that Seireitou's hair has lengthened considerably and transforms from its natural white color to an intense silver with a noticeably shimmering tint. His bangs from each side appear to be far longer and hang out freely. As his form is the reflection of his innermost nature, he prominently features fox ears and a long fox tail; both being noticeably silvery platinum in color. His eyes change color as well, from their abnormally grayish white to a resolute dark yellow, but retain an abnormal mystic white hue to them whenever Seireitou releases his spiritual power. They give off an apathetic feel to them, with noting that she could feel the "solitude" behind them; being unable, for the first time in their experiences together, to tell what Seireitou's heart was conveying despite their close relationship. It seems that his personality also changes as drastically as his appearance, as shown by his much more stern contrast in both facial expression and in verbal expression; perhaps signifying that he is devoting the entirety of his being to a single thought. At will, while in this form, Seireitou can generate nine sapphire tails from behind him, presumbly forged from his heavy spiritual power, that blatantly resembles the tails of a fox.

Katsujinken (活人拳, "Life-Giving Fist")

Satsujinken (殺人拳, "Killing Fist")

Relationships
Being a man whom values his bonds, Seireitou has formed several unique and interesting friendships, alliances, rivalries, and even enemies due to his actions and viewpoints. Interestingly enough, several female characters in the series have possibly developed romantic feelings for him despite his strange and eccentric persona, though most likely a result of his inwardly compassionate nature.

Seireitou is not known to be close with his immediate family. He is estranged from his "father" and his mother for obvious reasons. While he is known to have had a lover, Seireitou was married only once. His wife, Shiori, had been killed during the events of Datara's campaign of warfare. He is also known to be on rocky terms with his son, although the latter seems to have much respect and admiration for his father while the former cares deeply for his son; despite the both of them being incapable of portraying this father-son care for one another. He has also conceived an illegitimate daughter that was the result of a drunken exchange between himself and Rangiku Matsumoto.

During both the Hollow Wars and the Quincy Blood War, Seireitou was known as "Shiroyasha" for many frightening reasons, including his bloodthirsty battle-loving attitude and desire to cause vicious injuries upon his victims; although one of the most fearsome reasons was due to his "unique" method of intelligence gathering which involved the capture of several females among the enemy ranks to be raped and subsequently tortured for information. According to Seireitou, he has assumed to be the sole person responsible for the rape at least forty-seven female Arrancar and sixty-three female Quincy, four of which in regards to the latter were among the Stern Ritter; most prominent among these included Luciana Basterbine. Several offspring were later determined to be conceived from these unions, such as Bambietta Basterbine and Meninas McAllon, among many others; although it is unknown if Seireitou is aware of each and every one of these bastard children.

Anime Omake Segment: Sei-san no Kyōshitsu
Seireitou is in charge of the Sei-san no Kyōshitsu (の教室, literally "Sei-san's Classroom"), an omake segment that airs at the end of some chapters in the series. It is where he outlines various facts about characters in the series, as well as instructs the audience in subjects not fully covered in the actual chapters themselves, teaching it to a classroom full of the main characters dressed in school uniforms. Similar to Gin Ichimaru's Arrancar Encyclopedia, many sketches will usually start with a surprise guest(s) for that segment announcing the name of the sketch, at which point Seireitou will give a short course on a specific topic, such as the character in question's standard abilities. Once Seireitou has finished, the person that announced the name shows up to comment on the topic, usually resulting in a humorous retort by Seireitou. During these segments, he also answers fan mail. On occasion, Seireitou will be "out sick", in which one of the other three Yonkō will substitute for him, typically Raian Getsueikirite, which almost always leads to a humorous subsequent scene involving Seireitou realizes who's substituting for him.

Quotes

 * (To Raian Getsueikirite) "It isn't a sense of justice. Fighting powerful opponents and protecting those close to me is how I live my life. It is the path of which I have chosen to walk. If you measured good and evil deeds by current laws, I would be responsible for many crimes. That is why I only take on fights which pique my interest. It isn't justice whatsoever. If it means saving the life of a friend or advancing my own power... I'll do whatever it takes to win. I don't and will not play fair. I'm a dishonest cheat who hates losing."
 * (Regarding Shiori Miyamoto) "I've decided to stop whining about what I've lost before... in order to focus on what I have now. I'm going to become her guardian and become the strongest so that things will change for the better. Perhaps it's selfish of me... but I no longer want to have to... see her cry any more. If it means changing this entire world, even if it requires the most violent means possible, so that she'll never have tears for me to wipe away any longer, then that's good enough for me."
 * (To Hikaru "Shadow" Kurosaki) "Quit being stupid. Stand up. If you've got enough time to fantasize about your beautiful death... then why not live your life beautifully to the end?"
 * (To Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, during the Quincy war) "If you believe that I serve as a Captain of your Divisions so that I can protect the civilization that you and the rest of these murderers have so painstakingly worked toward creating, you're dead wrong. From the start of this, I've sought only to protect Shōyō-sensei... and also, Raian-san, Shiori-chan, Senka-chan, Hikaru-san, and even Echo. Do not forget that it is akin to blackmail that you got me to go along with your little "Gotei" group. You had best not forget your place when speaking with me, old man. I have no qualms about killing every last man, woman, and child that dares to swear loyalty to you. I will smash to bits this entire Seireitei if I have to."
 * (To ) "A warrior has only one job on the battlefield. And that... is to win. There is no such thing as a "good side" or a "bad side" during a conflict. When at war, both sides are in the wrong. You must shed the childish thoughts of respect and honor... and become a demon. That is the only way to survive on this battlefield."
 * "You should know better than to corner an animal like a fox... we have a tendency to show our teeth."
 * (To Datara Kawahiru) "Get up, you miserable fuck! It's time you learned why you're not in our league!"
 * "Sometimes, it's a pain being the strongest among those who fight. Those who have the greatest power amongst their group, have the innate responsibility to ensure their own and their fellow compatriots' well-being. When they have the ability to take action, it is their duty to take action. However, while it may be a tribulation, should one of the group members fall, the burden of that loss is weighed on the strongest one's shoulders, as the one who failed to protect those under him. In this way, nobody can be blamed but yourself. But you see, it is precisely this reason why I strive to be the strongest among those around me. So then... I have nobody to blame but myself if one of my friends die on the battlefield."
 * (To Warkiller) "Listen... What you do in the spiritual world or even here in the world of the living matters very little to me. Do whatever you want there. But anywhere within the reach of my hand... is my country! Anyone who comes in here and messes with my people... whether they happen to be enforcers of justice, bringers of darkness, or even the King of Souls himself... I will strike them all down!"
 * (To Datara, the final battle) "Interesting... Tell me, Datara. Why did you just distance yourself from me? Weren't you the one telling me that distance only matters in a battle between equals? Is this your way of telling me that you're scared of what's happening right in front of your eyes? Of something happening... that you can't understand?"
 * (When training Ahatake Kurosaki) "You are a fool, nincompoop. For I am not here on any official business other than the hopes that I will find either breasts I can fondle or an ass I can kick!"
 * (To Sao Jiang) "I'll give you a chance here. If you leave now, then I won't kill you, and I won't need to use my exceedingly valuable time to investigate the motives behind your actions, once again screwing up an evil mastermind's plot to take over the world or something cliché like that. Savvy?"
 * (To Saori Sumeragi) "Saori, it takes a lot to get me worked up... but this time my boiling point's as low as it's ever been. The "Silver Hairs" Seireitou, the man regarded as the "white demon" Shiroyasha... is about to go on a rampage!"
 * (To Minato Kuramoto, and later Miharu Kurosaki) "Try to picture the toughest, most intense, most terrifying training you can possibly imagine. So, did you imagine it? Now imagine that... was Heaven."
 * (After refusing the Royal Guard's request) "Sorry, I'll have to pass on that. My doctor says that I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and because of that, I am therefore excused from having to save the Soul Society."
 * (To Tadoku Getsueikirite) "Even if we're just flickering candles... by gathering together, we can illuminate the darkness. Even if the flame is put out, if it's left for just a minute, it can start another fire. No matter how many times you try to put me out, you're just wasting your time. I have coals set aside. I won't disappear, those coals are with me always. As long as I have them, no matter how many times I'm put out, I'll keep flaring back up. Someone like you... can't put out our flame!"
 * "Since you're so willing to use such a killing move... then I shall use my own killing move as well."
 * (Regarding his and Kamui's Zanpakutō) "If Shinbyeong is a Zanpakutō that changes and decides fate, then Hanullim is a Zanpakutō that challenges fate."
 * (To Odo Marquard) "You think that you can strike me down because you stole Shinwaryeok Hanullim? How naive. Why do you think that I was feared as the Shiroyasha for so many years? It is because, in all this time, the tenacity that I have toward fighting... has never once been rivaled!"
 * (To Kurama Kawahiru, about Shōyō) "Perhaps you're stronger than I thought... But that's no excuse. Even as things stand, I can feel the same chills up my spine from back in the day. It's as if he's scolding me... even in death. "To have trouble with such an opponent, I don't remember raising such a coward!" is what he'd say."
 * (To, about ) "I think I'll go home to take a nap before setting out to kill Takahashi myself. Maybe even have a cup of sake before then. Sounds like a good idea. If someone just so happens to defeat him before then... well, so be it."
 * (To Tome Kūgun) "You fight only with instinct. Perhaps, in some ways, that is an admirable trait in a Hakuda fighter. But not a Master. Masters are those who abandon reason, instinct, logic... and even truth. For those are nothing but limits that restrict the Master. The way that you fight is akin to that of a mutt blindly following the word of its master. That's what you are, a puppy-dog. Without even considering the circumstances, you charge in headfirst, letting your instinct be the master calling the shots. But you see, demons think a bit differently. Not bound by instinct. We're fully aware of the damage we cause... and enjoy every moment of it. The mistake you made, puppy-dog... was stepping into the ring with a demon. You're out of your league here, hound."
 * (Speaking to several opponents) "As I've already told you, the only one who could repel my attacks successfully was Raian-san. Too bad he isn't here at the moment. Though... in a way, that's a good thing for all of you. Because if it's just me... the maps won't need to be so drastically redrawn this time."
 * (To Gekkō Kirameki) "Killing has never been something I've been capable of doing on a whim. In this sole regard, I am different from Raian-san. However, my pride as a martial artist prevents me from operating under such a principle when confronted by an opponent who is prepared to put their soul at risk. With such spirit opposing me, I will never regret... wearing the title of murderer."
 * "Blah, blah, blah, blah... quit your blabbering. Are you in heat or something, bastard? You kept yammering on for so long that I only really caught the first half."
 * "I'll never be able to protect anything? Hardly. My hands may be stained with blood, but there are still things that even they can protect."
 * (To the Mimagotei troops, about his Dojang's female residents) "Good grief. We've got three world breakers with us. I'll give you some advice. Call for reinforcements. You might be the noble houses' personal guards, but you're probably too soft from all the peace and quiet to take us on. Meanwhile, we're still at war, fighting for our lives everyday against those psychos!"
 * (Regarding the students of Kawahiru Dojang) "I don't mind you spreading whatever rumors you want about me. If I'm being an eyesore, then I'll be on my way somewhere else. However... if you point your swords at my students, then I wouldn't mind overthrowing something like a government."
 * (To, regarding ) "Me and him are no more different now than how we were back then. In order to become the Shinigami that each of us holds in our heart, each of us has been fighting with ourselves. This guy's version of Shinigami... The way he does things, I can't accept it. So even if I have to strike him down, I'll stop him. But the one who understands how he feels, better than anyone else in this world, is me. What we hated most in this world is the same. So, you guys... aren't qualified to cut him down. The one that will both strike down and protect this guy... is me. No matter what happens, I will protect the soul of that man's disciple... Getsueikirite Raian of Shintai Sonjuku... as both his comrade and as the disciple of Master Shōyō... Kawahiru Seireitou. That's... the kind of Shinigami I decided on being."
 * (Referring to teachings) "People are beings that carry their weakness as they live. That may be a character flaw, part of their physical appearance, or the environment they were born into. Everyone lives carrying a self they can't reach a compromise with and suffers because of it. That's just how it is. There's no escaping that. However, you can also suffer by resisting. One does not only suffer because of their weakness. They can also face their weakness and suffer while trying to resist and change it. That's what that man taught me. People... have more freedom than I thought."
 * "Try to hit me then, if you're so sure of your skills. Send the next attack right here, right for my heart. Make sure to aim real good this time... because if you miss, I'm crushing your skull in the next instant. Don't forget who you're dealing with. I am the Soul Society's Hakuda Grandmaster... Kawahiru Seireitou."

Behind the Scenes
Seireitou's theme songs, as chosen by his author, are "Utage" by T.M. Revolution and "Status Quo Destruction" by SPYAIR.

According to the author, Seireitou would be voiced in Japanese by Sugita Tomokazu, the seiyū for Gintoki Sakata from Gin Tama. He would be voiced in English dub by Dustin Hoffman, the voice actor for Master Shifu from the animated movie Kung Fu Panda.

While Seireitou is his first name and Kawahiru is his last name, his full name is Seireitou Shōin Kawahiru no Jirō. Kawahiru no Jirō means "second eldest son of the Kawahiru family" whilst Shōin means "pine trees in the dark", which was the name given to him in birth by his mentor and grandfather, Shōyō. and serves as a foil to the latter's own name which translates into "pine trees in the sunlight". The name Shōin was derived from Yoshida Shōin, whom is one of the author's most respected role model. Seireitou's first name means "guardian of the spirit".

His former title, "The Tiger of Kabuki", was based off the title "The Tiger of Kai" that was held by Takeda Shingen, an important feudal lord during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. This was meant to show the parallels between Seireitou's rivalry with Raian and Takeda's own rivalry with Uesugi Kenshin, whom held the title "The Dragon of Echigo". By many historical accounts, Shingen and Kenshin had always been interested in Chinese culture, especially the works of Sun Tzu, with the Dragon and Tiger having always been bitter rivals who constantly try to defeat one another.

Seireitou's alias and subsequently change in appearance as "Yín Méi" was directly inspired by Master Roshi and his adopted moniker as "Jackie Chun" from the original Dragon Ball anime. Similar to the latter's alias being a parody to the famous actor and martial artist, Jackie Chan, Seireitou's alias is a parody of the legendary martial arts master, Bak Mei.

The image depicting Seireitou in the Jinki Fragments arc was drawn by Zanpakutō-Leader on DeviantArt, formerly known as Cayossj2.

According to Njalm2's character, Otoya Kurogane, Seireitou possesses a Price Level of 151,700.