Kurai

Kurai (昏い) is a former shinigami under the direction of the Soul Society that became lost over half a century ago during a mission between the realms of Soul Society and Heuco Mundo, and was presumed dead. He has recently returned to his former home with an unknown intent.

Appearance
Before being subjugated to countless years in a spiritual negative realm Kurai appeared like many young Shinigami, and was hardly noticeable in a crowd. Tall, yet slender, and with grey hair tied back, Kurai would draw barely any attention due to his appearance while going through the academy. After his reappearance after many years of assumed death Kurai hair has darkened from grey to black and his skin has become incredibly pale. Unlike the standard shinigami uniform Kurai wore upon disappearing, he now wears what appears to be some sort of multiple layered robes, equipped with a high collar. It also appears that he doesn't keep his hair tied back anymore.

Personality
Kurai's original personality was both quiet and reserved throughout his service to the Soul Society. While he showed considerable talent and prowess during his time in the academy, his lack of initiative often caused him to be overlooked by his superiors. He passed the entrance exam for the Gotei 13 on his first time with high marks, but due to reserved personality he wasn't recruited for sometime. After being lost with a team in a world between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, Kurai's personality changed dramatically. While being forced to fight for his very life on a daily basis, and watching his partners die at the same rate, he became cold and violent to ensure his own survival. When he became the only survivor, he stopped speaking all together resulting in his voice easily becoming strained when he speaks. While he originally thought that other shinigami would eventually come to rescue him and his team, as they slowly died off, Kurai decided that Soul Society had written them off as expendable. Eventually when he became the host of small hollow, his memories became skewed and he forgot much of his past including his full name. Despite these issues, his determination to escape from this imprisonment still lingered allowing him to eventually achieve Bankai, which would serve him as an escape to Soul Society in his future. Currently he seems to have a rather cold and dark mode of behavior and, though his memories have faded, seems to generally dislike Soul Society and its inhabitants. This dislike of Soul Society doesn't make him an ally to the hollow, who he appears to take some kind of pleasure in eradicating.

History
Kurai was born, like many would be shinigami, in Rukongai and was forced to raise himself amongst poverty and violence. After a failed attempt to sneak into Seireitei during his adolescent years he was recognized to have a considerable amount of spiritual energy and encouraged to join the the academy. While he showed promise and was eventually became a shinigami. While he progressed at a decent rate and moved up the ranks at a decent rank, he wasn't drawing the attention of his superiors since he seemed to hold back while on missions. Unfortunately, before he had a chance to prove himself a skilled Soul Reaper, he was lost with his team in a realm between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society. Since he and his group were determined to not be of incredible importance, a search never occurred leading to the eventual death of everyone in the group, except Kurai and a few others. Trapped between worlds in a largely spiritual negative realm, the group was slowly running out of spiritual energy and feared that they would soon cease to exist. This was unitl they, after months of struggling, found an exit from the world between worlds. While they had hoped that they had returned to their home, they were mistaken when they found themselves within Hueco Mundo. While their energy had been restored they had made their way into the Menos Foest. The Shinigami's numbers slowly but surely decreased as they were picked off by random hollow. After what Kurai suspected to be a year, he was the only surviver. He had found a way to return to the realm between soul society and hueco mundo, but his energy would quickly be drained in such a place. Unfortunately, that is the closest he could get to escaping Hueco Mundo, and it was much safer. It was then after spending much time in that nonexistant world, attempting to break through forcefully, that he passed out in that realm. He thought he had died until he awoken to find himself the host of multiple small hollow, seaking refuge within his spiritual body. The symbiotic relationship that had been formed allowed him to survive within this world, and also kept the hollow alive. Slowly it would seem that he became a shinigami-hollow hybrid unlike anything seen before. Unlike the Vizard or arrancar he showed no signs of a mask or extreme changes in personality. Kurai had become an unique balance between Hollow and Shinigami. He had become granted powers from his hollow inhabitants but still maintained the form and mentality of his original self.

Abilities
Swordsmanship: While Kurai was a accomplished swordsman for the extent of his career as a Shinigami, his time spent in both Hueco Mundo and beyond have sculpted him into a powerful and adept fighter. His long years of forced survival have granted him with the strength to defeat Menos level hollow without even releasing his sword into its shikai state. As such he rarely depended on more than his shikai, except when attempting forcefully tear a path back to the soul society. His fighting style revolves around precise quick strikes to immobilize and kill and enemy with efficiency.

Flash Steps: Kurai seems to often employ flash steps in conjunction with his sword skills to quickly and easily defeat his opponents. Since he prefers to use speed as compared to uncontrollable amounts of force he has become quite adept in using Shunpo and employs it regularly. The absolute limits to his current speed are unknown at the time do the conditions of his existence.

Kido: Kurai has showed exceptional skill with Kido since his time in the academy to the point where if he hadn't scored as high as he did in swordsmanship, he would have been been quickly recruited by the Kido Corps. It is currently unknown how far his skills have increased since his time in both Hueco Mundo and in the realm between worlds.

Spiritual Energy: While Kurai spiritual energy was best described before his disappearance as "Above Average." While his levels must have increased during his time away from Soul Society, since he was able to achieve Bankai as well as survive in a spiritual negative area for decades, the limits to his power are unknown.

 

Zanpakutō
Yatagarasu (八咫烏) "Eight-Span Raven" appears to be an average katana with a dull grey hilt with a crossguard that appears like seven open, yet intersecting, silver crescents.

Shikai
Activated with the command "Chouetsu" (Transcend) the only noticable difference in the appearance of the Yatagarasu are glowing swirls seen on the blade. Once this form is released its cutting power seems to be increased and it is permitted to perform the following techniques:


 * Nusumuhi (盗む日) "Steal the Sun" After the command is spoken Yatagarasu is swung releasing a burst of energy. Originally a black jagged burst of spiritual energy that that is launched at a target cutting it.  It is later refined into a burst of energy that is smoother in nature and cuts more efficiently.  It would seem that the size and shape of this technique are quite dependent of Kurai's will.  This technique can also be used merely on the blade of Yatagarasu to increase the cutting abilities and force.
 * Morasu Hikari (漏らす光) "Reveal the Light" White burst of spiritual energy that expands outward from the user in all directions both blinding and burning enemies. The blinding effect will also effect the user, which usually requires them to close their eyes.  Eventually this technique is developed into a wave of light that has the same effect only can be used more accurately.  This technique seems to be quite effective on Hollow and is a major reason that Kurai survived during his inhabitation between worlds.
 * Mugoi Adauchi (酷い仇討ち) "Merciless Vengeance" Developed either between worlds or Hueco Mundo, Kurai uses this technique to absorbed the ambient spiritual energy around him and release it in a powerful blood red energy slash.  This is usually unusuable in areas that don't have a spirit rich atmosphere unless it is performed near the recently deseased, in which it drains that spiritual spiritual energy for the attack.

Bankai
Omoikioku no Yatagarasu (想い記憶八咫烏) "Eight-Span Raven of Thoughtful Memories" Kurai usually performs his bankai by holding his zanpakutou in front of himself with is right hand and moving his left hand across the back of the blade. Immediately black feathers with engulf Kurai and his zanpakutou eventually falling around him revealing the blade of his sword has becomes completely white and glows with an intense light while the handle becomes a dark black. Similar to Zangetsu and Ichigo Kurosaki, Kurai's spiritual energy is greatly condensed, not expanded while using as his already normal sized katana becomes similar to a chokuto in shape and size. It is theorized that Kurai such a bankai was merely the result of training in a spiritual negative area, as a large expansive Bankai would become neutralized quickly. As such with the compression of energy Omoi no Yatagarasu becomes nearly unbreakable and has yet to be fractured by the strongest of attacks. While Kurai's sword becomes incredibly powerful while in bankai, his defensive capabilities are not increased by much. Instead his speed and sensory abilities are greatly increased allowing him to fight in an agile and mobile way. The increased sensory perception seems to be focused around sight and hearing, but Kurai has shown that his ability to sense spiritual energy may also be increased. This increase in sensory perception has made him immune to some types of illusions that he encountered in Hueco Mundo and the world between worlds, though it is most likely not full proof. In addition to these noted abilities of Morasu Hikari from his Skikai stage can be performed in an enhanced state, appearing much like a blade of energy, along with a more powerful Mugoi Adauchi, and a new technique unique to his bankai.


 * Onmyou (陰陽) "Duality" When perfomed Kurai holds his zanpakuto off to his side as black energy begins to bleed from the hilt of the chokuto and intertwine but not fuse with the bankai's lumenescent white blade.  Upon the completion of this apparent mixture of darkness and light Kurai can fire off large burst of energy appearing both with and black in a variety of shapes and sizes.  It would seem that the addition of darkness onto the blade of the sword also increases its destructive capabilities and cutting edge.  It is the incredible spirit particle density of this blade that permitted Kurai to eventually escape the area between worlds back to the Soul Society.

Hollowification
While Kurai hasn't and wont go through the same transformation as a Vizard, he has received numerous abilities due to his state. He has shown to possess a form a telekinesis that allows him to move obstacles that would otherwise impede him, or to immobilize foes for a temporary amount of time. Kurai also has the ability to appear and disappear at coinciding the appearance of black feathers similar to his Bankai. While it is apparent that this ability is actually appearing or disappearing In addition to these minor abilities Kurai seems to be able to forcefully draw out more spiritual energy from his hollow inhabitants resulting in dark marks forming beneath his glowing eyes. While he has only performed it once it would seem that Kurai has the ability to use a white colored Cero. Unfortunately it was used at random, not hitting anything, so its power is yet to be understood.