Arata Yaguruma

''To all who are reading this article: I am remaking Arata due to the fact that I don't like the current version all that much and I have some new ideas for him that will ultimately end with him being a better character and hopefully a more enjoyable read in the end; the previous version of his character is on another page so I can access it easier and add and remove things as I go. Please bear with me for now. ''

Arata Yaguruma (矢車・新, Yaguruma Arata) is a young boy who lives in Rukongai, and an important character in Bleach: Rising Phoenix- being Gai's adopted son. In Second Rising, he becomes a slave to Megami Nagareboshi.

Appearance
Arata is a young boy who appears effiminate and androgynously beautiful in his appearance. He possesses short, brown hair; his bangs frame his face, and several small clumps stick out at the ends. His hair is parted on the right side of his forehead slightly, with several somewhat large strands trailing down to meet his right eye. He also possesses stunning, hazel eyes; though it should be noted that he wears contacts to hide his true eye colour.

Personality and Traits
Arata has rather low-self esteem as he has been always shown to be greatly hurt and wanted to commit suicide if he perceives himself as useless; he's also very gullible, being tricked by to wear women's clothing and later, wearing a butler outfit, though his personality gradually changes as he is seen to leave sarcastic comment on his twin brother, which is very surprising considering how respectful towards him he usually is.

Powers and Abilities
Expert Swordsmanship Specialist: Arata's zanjutsu style consists of very fast, wide backhanded strikes with his Zanpakutō in quick succession to inflict serious damage upon his foe; well, it quickly adds up in power to be exact. His single strikes aren't as powerful as Gai's two-handed strikes or Eiji's powerful blows, but his ability to attack quickly makes up for his lower attack power. It should be noted, that Arata usually grasps his blade in an unorthadox reverse-grip style, though he switches to more regular hold for special attacks. Arata admits that Zanjutsu isn't his strong point; however, by demonstration, it can be said that he is only slightly more competent in the art than Gai- as evidenced by the fact that he can take down a low-level Captain opponent in a straight up sword duel.
 * Daijūshichi: Reiraku Byakuya (第十七:零落白夜, "The Seventeenth: Midnight Sun Faded Glory"): Reiraku Byakuya is prepared by assuming an unusual stance; dropping into a partial crouch, both knees bend, right arm drawn back and left extended forward while Arata winds up his sword arm. Focusing his spiritual energy into his feet to get a better foothold as well as his left wrist to augment the strike, his waits for the foe to draw close, before instantly breaking out of the stance and thrusting at the foe whilst releasing his sword arm, creating a drill effect with extreme force at high speeds, piercing through many an obstruction while tearing through the air itself. The technique is considered quite deadly, as the Reiraku Byakuya has only a precious few blind spots to be exploited. Despite the apparent inflexibility of using one attack repeatedly, it has many useful applications.

Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Like Gai, Arata is highly competent in the art of hakuda- though of course, he is nowhere near as skilled as the Mototsu-Seishin hybrid. Diverging from Gai a bit, Arata isn't exactly known for his brute strength, so in order to compensate, his attacks hit at a much faster rate than Gai's own. Arata is extremely powerful in close-quarters, and he can sufficiently block and attack others, and he can effortlessly take down a man twice his size. Arata is able to attack with vicious throws and takedowns, something anybody wouldn't expect to come from somebody of his stature. Enhanced Strength:
 * Fūka Hōken (風華崩拳, "Crushing Fist of Majestic Winds"): Arata engulfs his fist in razor-sharp wind which is manifested by amassing spiritual energy upon his arm and converting it into the element of air. This wind consists of microscopic wind-blades that cut deeply into the target's structure. The wind blades sever nerve channels in the body, leaving the target unable to move after being struck. Then, Arata punches his opponent, causing heavy blunt damage alongside slicing them up. Such an attack can be performed with both hands at once.

Enhanced Speed: Arata has the fastest attacks and speed out the main trio but the lowest defence and stamina. Keeping this in mind, Arata fights in a very similar manner to the previous protagonist, Gai Nagareboshi, focusing on landing impressive hand-to-hand blows while dancing gracefully around his foe. However, it should be noted that Arata's blows are severely lacking in what Gai's possessed; sheer brute force. As Arata is the fastest of the trio, this is reflected in his primary fighting style of dodging, quick movements and swift chained attacks. Because of his speed, Arata possesses great reflexes, enabling him to quickly dodge a strike with no wasted effort and he can instantly counterattack right after. He is able to strike quickly without warning and in rapid succession much to his foe's surprise more often than not. His speed also allows him to follow the movements of faster opponents in the rare chance that he finds one to better analyze their movements or deflect difficult and otherwise fatal strikes with some ease.

Enhanced Durability:

Kidō Practitioner: Although not as skilled in Kidō as Lisette, Arata has access to a broad variety of Kidō spells; he is most skilled in the art of Hadō. In terms of elemental Kidō; Arata's fortes are in wind and light-based spells.

High Spiritual Power:

Hohō Expert
Hohō Expert: Arata is skilled in the art of Hohō (歩法, Agility; Viz "Fast Movement"; lit. step method), much like his teacher. Gai has told Arata that his forte would always be in speed and strength, just like he before him. Arata moves with elegant strides.
 * Enhanced Reflexes: Arata possesses tremendous reflexes, agility and speed; which, despite him being severely battle worn, usually enables him to dodge many a powerful projectile while balancing himself on one hand. He is also able to skillfully and acrobatically dodge a barrage of blasts; even by performing a side jump, and if the foe knocks him off a building, he is able to launch himself off of a few small falling rocks back towards his foe with ease. Surprisingly, these reflexes transcend mere excellent coordination, and trudge into the domain of the "sixth sense", rarely being surprised by even an ambush; however, it is shown that even Arata's "sense" can be negated by sheer speed and force.
 * Skilled Acrobat: Small and spry, Arata is known for being highly flexible in battle- able to perform one-handed backflips, somersaults, and mid-air cartwheels with little effort in terms of physical strain. Arata is also known for rolling around on the ground to evade foes' attacks, as well as being able to perform multiple spins and tricks in mid-air.

Shunpo Expert:


 * Kokugenei (剋幻影, "Victory Phantom"): Adapted from Gai Nagareboshi's Kōshinho version, Arata first jumps up and down, dragging out the noise so that the sound of his feet tapping on the ground isn't heard until after his feet have left the floor again. Once the sound lag is at its fullest, Arata leaps forward like a bullet, producing a sonic boom that destroys everything in front of and behind himself, propelling himself into his opponent at inconcievable speeds. Because he moves faster than the eye can see, the opponent won't be able to react until after he has already hit them.

Shunkō
Shunkō (瞬閧, "Flash Cry"): During his training with Haruko Kiseki in the third chapter, Arata learnt the ability of Shunkō; who was in turn taught it by an unknown source. Shunkō plays of Arata's gift in the art of Kidō and hand-to-hand combat; though as he is still very much a beginner in the forte of combat, his Shunkō can be considered incomplete, and it strains him like nobody's business. Even so, Shunkō is easily one of Arata's most used abilities. When active, it takes the form of pale transparent wind which swirls around his arms, legs and overall figure. Because of Shunkō's strain, Arata is unable to release his Zanpakutō and utilize Shunkō at the same time, much to his dismay. It should be noted that Shunkō drastically enhances Arata's physical attributes; his strength, speed, durability, and his eyesight.
 * Enhanced Strength: Due to the wind swirling around his arms and legs, Arata's physical prowess is boosted drastically. With Shunkō, Arata's strongest punch is able to release a destructive wave of cutting wind through sheer force that has enough power to slice cleanly through stone. In addition, this power enables Arata to catch one of Eiji Sakuta's sword swings, which has enough power to cleave straight through a building. However, doing so strains him considerably, and in this occasion, he immediately fainted afterward.
 * Enhanced Speed: Once again, as there is wind swirling around his arms and legs, Arata can move at high speeds; Haruko even compares his newfound speed to a bullet. This speed is achieved by compressing the wind around his legs to its utmost limit and expelling it, allowing him to move with a sudden and unexpected boost of speed that releases a small, damaging shockwave as he kicks off; with it, he was able to run circles around Eiji Sakuta without exerting too much effort.
 * Enhanced Durability: Because of his waifish figure not helping his defenses at all, the wind compressed upon his body while utilizing Shunkō drastically increases his durability and defenses; which Arata considers the greatest asset of this form. With it, he is able to take a full-powered Cero from a Menos point-blank and only receive a few small wounds and torn clothing. In fact, Arata is able to withstand several assaults from several weak seated officers before finally receiving a small wound, even coming out unscathed from several low-level Kidō spells.
 * Enhanced Eyesight: The wind also swirls around his body, increasing the usefulness of the Kidō compressed in his pupils. Because of this, he is able to see every single moment and action his foe takes. His sight is even increased to the point that he can pinpoint his foe's weak spots.
 * Hanki (反鬼, "Reverse Demon"): Not Yet Achieved; though it is an advanced Kidō technique that reverses an opponent's Kidō by sending energy that is of the equal speed and same power, thereby neutralizing both spells.

Zanpakutō
"…Thirty years ago, I was originally known as the Infernox Core Zanpakutō, Kōshinhōō, the Rising Phoenix. Once I was separated from my destined wielder, I was held captive in the hands of their identical and used to fight my original owner. Once my original wielder defeated my kidnapper, I was left unchecked immediately afterward, having fallen off a ravine; over time, I was found by Mitsuru Inazuma, my original owner's lover—who left me in the hands of the Captain of the 12th Division, Kaito Kurui. There, that person modified and experimented upon me until I took upon this appearance and my true abilities were sealed away, deep inside me. Of course, that was when I didn't inhabit that form. From there, remnants of my spiritual particles from when I was known as Kakusei was infused into Kōshinhōō, proving to be the final catalyst in taking upon a new form and identity; my new form is a reincarnation of the Zanpakutō Spirit of Kakusei, infused in the dull form of Kōshinhōō to give me a new life as Hakuryūtei, the White Dragon Empress."

- Hakuryūtei, to Arata Yaguruma in In Which There is Badass Normalcy

Hakuryūtei (白龍皇, "White Dragon Empress") is the name of Arata's Zanpakutō. When sealed, it takes the form of an elegantly crafted and slender katana that features a solid black blade, surrounded in its entirety by a narrow white cutting-edge when sealed. However, the most unusual portion of this weapon is its hilt, which consists of a completely smooth cylindrical handle. The design of Hakuryūtei is based upon Gaikaōtori.

Appearance: Hakuryūtei is an extremely feminine, slender and waifish young man who possesses short stature that equaled to only slightly taller than Arata himself, and a waifish figure that seemed so delicate one could shatter him like glass with a mere touch. He possesses shiny midnight black hair which is tied into a slight ponytail at the back, with the rest parted in the middle and his bangs frame his face, in addition to a flower decoration in the left side of his hair; as well as light crimson eyes. He wears the most simple of apparel; clad in a white sleeveless shirt and a light, breezy snow-white skirt; in addition to thigh-high socks. Arata refers to the spirit of Hakuryūtei as Ryūko (龍児, "Dragon Girl").

Shikai: Activated by the phrase, "Let's do it!" (やってヤルゼ, "Yatte yaruze!"), Hakuryūtei becomes an ornate broadsword that is predominantly silver and ivory-coloured in its released form. The shaft is thin and smooth with a fleur-de-lis-shaped spike at its tip. The tip of the blade is comprised by a pair of uneven, silver wings framing a broken, bright red heart. The base of the blade is adorned by a simple, grey heart, and the handle is black. Two uneven wings decorate the sword's guard, with the larger wing being on the same side of the weapon as the tip of the blade; it should be noted that this blade can be split in half, allowing Arata to dual wield. The weapon is designed so that the cross-guard up to the hilt can be used as a sort of tonfa; allowing Arata to augument his blows drastically.

Shikai Special Abilities: Upon releasing, Arata's energy levels slowly increase by using elements to take electrons from his foe every minute, which has the added effect of halving his foe's power or their Zanpakutō's power, while utilizing said electrons to make an "energy shell" full, in order for them to become less, if not completely unreactive and utterly stable, allowing Arata to consume that power and make it his own, allowing his to gather more and more energy, which he can use as his own power; Hakuryūtei always keeps a fragment of the absorbed power from his foe so that he can unleash it on a whim. In addition, Arata can transfer the amplified power to any being or object he desires, granting his a decent support role. The time that this ability activates is every minute; however, it can be reverted to the starting point if Hakuryūtei absorbs too much energy and boosts Arata too much, overloading explosively and giving all the assimilated energy to his foe.

Bankai: Hashakōyoku no Hakuryūtei (覇光翼の白龍皇, "Supreme Ruler Light Wings of the White Dragon Empress"): In Bankai, Arata becomes donned in glistening white plated armour- which didn't even have a slight shadow in a dark night. There are jewels across various locations on the armour. It also has armour on the face, concealing Arata's face. The eight wings of light growing from the back give out a divine glow in the dark night. It has a different shape and colour, but it is identical to Gai's "Starlight Second Liberation".
 * Shining Onslaught (炯然躍進, "Keizen Yakushin"): Arata's signature attack; also shared with Gai. However, due to Arata's inexperience in handling his spiritual energy, extra precautions must be taken before utilizing it properly, as he cannot utilize it normally due to the sheer knock-back of the technique blowing him away without fail. Taking both of his blades, Arata points one behind him to eliminate knock-back and thrusts one towards his target. There, Arata amasses and converges light on both of his blades; the silver light on the blade behind him is somewhat soften to cushion him, while the blade aimed at the target generates a fiercer, golden light. There, Arata condenses the light to its utmost limit, before declaring the attack's name and releasing the light from the blade pointed towards his foe in the form of a spinning, 'X'-shaped blast of golden spiritual energy. It is strong enough to penetrate two foes, and it's supposedly twice as powerful as Gai's Kakusei Shining Onslaught.
 * Shining Piercer (炯然穿孔, "Keizen Senkō"): A more powerful variant of Shining Onslaught, designed for a focused, penetrating attack. Upon releasing the regular Shining Onslaught, Arata quickly molds the golden energy into the form of a beam of spiritual energy, spinning the trajectory of the beam like a powerful drill, generating enough force to destroy even seki-sekki with one shot. However, Arata can only utilize this attack a limited amount of times, enough to keep a running battle going for some time but eventually repeated use will drain his spiritual energy reserves completely.
 * Takameru (高める, "Boost"; always rendered as "Boost!" in storylines): A supportive ability which enables Arata to grant support in battle, by boosting his allies' physical prowess. This is done by Arata expelling a fragment, or multiple fragments of Hakuryūtei's power, before infusing said fragments with a portion of his spiritual energy, stabilizing them to the point that they can be accepted and absorbed by anyone. Once this is done, Arata projects them outward, forming a link between the spiritual energy of his targets whom he wishes to empower and his own, allowing the fragments to integrate within his targets in the span of a split second. Once the targets have absorbed the fragments, their entire bodies become enveloped in a golden aura of spiritual energy. It should be noted that since Hakuryūtei divides half of an opponent's power and adds it to Arata's own power every minute, these fragments provide a much larger boost if they are transferred later; Arata can also augment himself with this ability. This ability was created by Arata after placing one of the jewels of Gaikaōtori on Hakuryūtei. This ability, however, reduces Arata's lifespan.
 * Shinsei Ibukishō (新星一颯晶, "Nova Whisper Mirror"): With this ability, Arata's power is increased for every time he has utilized Shining Onslaught one-handed; and the skills of Kidō, Hakuda, Zanjutsu or Zanpakutō abilities are dampened; lessening the damage slightly. It should be noted that the residual energy of Shining Onslaught that is left upon his blade from each blast scatters off his sword and becomes absorbed into Hakuryūtei; causing a faint golden glow to surround his entirety. This small aura releases a miniature electrical discharge every few moments; Shinsei Ibukishō slightly mimics Gai Nagareboshi's Gaikaōtori's Power Augmentation; though it should be noted that it is somewhat less effective than the original due to conditions of the boost of power that Arata receives.
 * Ibukishō Nagare (一颯晶流れ, "Whisper Mirror Stream"): Instead of utilizing this force to assault his foe, Arata can project the accumulated power of Shinsei Ibukishō outwards in front of his figure in the form of a vibrant, crimson wing-shaped shield, at the cost of resealing his Zanpakutō for the briefest of moments. Once projected outwards, this shield nullifies the foe's next attack if the attack has more power than Arata's own; immediately after nullifying the foe's attack, Arata can release his Shikai once again.

Bankai Special Abilities: Not Yet Revealed.
 * Hakkōme (発光目, "Flash Eye"): Not so much of an ability, more of a special piece of equipment that is embedded within the chest of the armour of Arata's Bankai—when activated, it emits a blinding flash of light which disorients enemies, often allowing Arata to evade attacks that are about to be unleashed. The ability was first used when Arata first fought against Kachihi Amagase.
 * Hijack Impulse: A special ability designed to be one of the greatest counters against psychics. This enables Arata to take control of his foe's Seekers to turn them against their owner. The hijacked Seekers are then sent on a frenzy, attacking their owner without pause. Though, if the foe attempts to reclaim the stolen Seekers, they automatically self-destruct.
 * Destroyer Jammer: With so many of his enemies possessing some degree of psychic powers, Arata decided to make a further counter-measure to such a hindrance. Whenever his spiritual energy detects the activation of any psychic powers, a program initiates that prevents any of the abnormal effects of psychic powers from occurring.
 * Willpower Disruption: The secondary effect to the Destroyer Jammer—Arata expands his spiritual energy outwards into the surrounding area which disrupts the connection between warrior and Zanpakutō. This presents a huge advantage as this makes using a Zanpakutō a weakness rather than a strength.
 * Twin Spirit Cannons: The Twin Spirit Cannons are ranged weapons that are mounted on the shoulders using the red binders of Arata's armour. They can rotate in any direction, enabling them to shoot foes without Arata having to move his arms. They can also be dismounted and wielded by hand like regular rifles. The red binders possess the ability to generate large spiritual sabers, allowing Arata to quickly counter when there is no time to utilize Hakuryūtei. The cannons are capable of simultaneous multi-directional firing.
 * Wings of Light (光の翼, "Hikari no Tsubasa"): One of Arata's most unique techniques; utilizing a variant of spiritual propulsion in conjunction with spiritual particles, he is capable of achieving extremely high speeds while leaving behind a trail of visible after-images to confuse his enemies. He is only barely able to generate enough spiritual power to utilize this technique, though by doing so, he drains himself almost completely of his spiritual power, the speed and after-images granted by the Wings of Light allow Arata to effectively dodge the multi-directional attacks of Kaede's drones. Activating this attack causes a slip stream effect that allows Arata to achieve speeds normally impossible him in any location. By charging the particles with spiritual energy this allows Arata an additional defensive measure as well as immense propulsion.
 * Radiant Shining Surge (烱然映射波動, "Keizen Eishahadō"): Not Yet Revealed, though Arata named the attack after the signature movie of Raike Almark in his favourite anime, Avalark.

Bankai Second Stage: Chōjunseirakuhō no Hakuryūtei (超準星落鳳の白龍皇, "Ultra Quasar Falling Phoenix of the White Dragon Empress"): Not Yet Achieved.

Relationships
Reika Gimansha:

Lisette Ienaga:

Kaede Mikazuki:

Hakuryūtei:

Gai Nagareboshi:

Eimi Nagareboshi:

Mitsuru Inazuma: