Shizuka Yuko


 * "Tempered of diamonds, the empress loved by the moon, hidden in its light." - Seireitou-shishō

Shizuka Yuko (優子 静夏, Yuko Shizuka) is a female that resides in the. Several centuries ago, she was regarded as a legendary Grandmaster that hailed from the, a vicious warrior that was considered no less diabolical and dangerous than that of the infamous. Shizuka was once a reigning authority on the martial arts and had at one point faced off in a Hakuda duel to the death against the equally-skilled ; though no official record exists of the fight, those who were alive then to observe the fight could never forget such a spectacle. Though her actual name was lost to history, the name "Diamond Empress" (金剛帝, Kyōkōtei) still sends shivers down the spines of the; particularly those of the. Shizuka, however, had eventually made her way to the human world some time after that death match, becoming quite successful in business as the owner of several organizations collectively belonging to the "", of which she serves as the chairwoman. The agency serves as an authoritative body for various martial art disciplines in the human world, such as Karate and Taekwondo, though it acts as a cover for Shizuka to recruit potential candidates with significant spiritual awareness to be trained personally by her as her disciples. In the public eye, she is known by the alias Astoria (アストリア, Asutoria), and is rumored by many to be a master of every martial art discipline. Though unclear, it is hinted she intends to raise an army of martial arts to invade the Soul Society, as inferred by during their frequent interactions. It is unknown if the two are colleagues in any sense.