Raian Getsueikirite

Raian Getsueikirite (月影切り手梁, Getsueikirite Raian; English for, "Ryan Moonlight Cutter"; literally translated, "Little King, Moonlight-Cutter") is a who gained Hollow powers and became a  due to growing an Inner Hollow inside of him. After losing his spiritual powers trying to restore Seireitou Kawahiru's soul, he eventually turns into a able to use Fullbring.

At some point, his Fullbring powers jolt awake his remaining reiatsu, turning him back into a ; making him the Substitute Shinigami (死神代行, Shinigami Daikō) for Rider City. Later, he is requested by Soul Society to return to his post as a member of the Gotei 13, which he does; becoming the captain of the Eighth Division.

Appearance
Raian is an average height young man with piercing black eyes and long black hair. In his human body, he wears the traditional clothes of a normal teenager, however, when transformed into his Shinigami body, he wears a long black cloak with his zanpakutō clipped to his back. For most of his life, he wears a simple robe and kimono. After becoming the King of the Tribes of Aether, he dons the attire of Captains in Aether; a black jacket with red cuffs, making him look much like the pirates that once roamed the waters of the world.

After regaining his Shinigami powers, via his Fullbring merging with his remaining Shinigami reiatsu, six years after losing them, he gains a new appearance. He now wears a standard Shinigami shihakushō, something he lacked in his original Shinigami form. He also wears wristbands and a large necklace shaped in the design of a cross; a direct reference to both his Zanpakutō's name, and the Fullbring it merged with.

Shortly after becoming a captain once more, during a four year timeskip, Raian's appearance again changes. He grows his black hair out long once more, and now wears a variation of captain haori; with a high collar and small tassels attached to the corners. He also dons a pink, flowered ladies kimono, which he drapes across his shoulders and over his captain's uniform, like his predecessor, once did. Lastly, he now wears a red and white bucket hat that usually shadows his eye, similar to.

Personality
A majority of the time, Raian is a mature and serious individual, in contrast to his lewd, and sometimes free-spirited best friend, Seireitou Kawahiru. Though the two have different personalities, they agree on many moral values, and also seem to be very close. Despite this, Raian can be seen goofing off on some occasions, while on others, he can be seen getting annoyed at those who are goofing off. As a compliment to his calm and mature nature, Raian is also very laid back and can sometimes appear lazy. When he has free time, he enjoys taking Seireitou or Mashū Getsueikirite out for sake. He also enjoys taking long naps.

Since his childhood in the Rukongai, Raian has been the subject of ridicule for being too weak or too average, in great contrast to Seireitou or Kamui. He is often put down by his enemies because of his "average" appearance. Because of this, Raian seems to emit a cold attitude in battle, though he has never overreacted because of something an enemy has said to him. He refers to most people by their first name, with an exception being in the case of people he holds in high regard, or respect for their position, such as the captains of the Gotei 13. The only name he shows disdain for, is that of Ichigo Kurosaki's, whom he calls, simply, "Kurosaki". It is unknown why he has disdain for Ichigo, despite the two of them having one been allies.

Raian enjoys fighting, especially when it means he can test his abilities, or whenever the opponent seems to be a good challenger. Despite this, he won't release his Zanpakutō under any circumstance, unless he feels he cannot win a fight any other way. He dislikes taking the life of those he views as innocent. He also refuses to fight with a child, or a good-natured woman, even if they're his enemies. When he does fight, he prefers keeping it honorable. He refuses to fight a foe that cannot protect themselves any longer. Raian is also very protective of those that he loves. If he feels that they are threatened, he will abandon all of his rules of morality and self-control to protect them.

Raian strongly dislikes arrogant people, and is very rarely, if ever, arrogant himself. Raian tends to be very humble and polite whenever possible.

History
Raian was born to a low-ranking family in the, living in its most outer districts where crime invested the neighborhoods. He recalls an early meeting with his soon-to-be best friend, Seireitou Kawahiru, at the time, recalling that Seireitou was much colder back then though Raian could tell it was from loneliness and so he never let Seireitou's coldness get to him. During a Shinigami mission to Rukongai, then-captain passed by Raian in the streets and immediately sensed an unnatural level of  coming from the young boy. The captain immediately arranged for the boy to be transported to the Seireitei for Shinigami training. Raian was placed into the household of upon arriving in the Seireitei so that he would have a place to live during his stay. Sōjun was a father-figure to Raian from that point on, though he didn't really get along with Sōjun's son, Byakuya. Soon after getting settled in Seireitei, he began school at the Shinigami academy. There, he again ran into Seireitou, who had also been brought to Seireitei for Shinigami training. It was there that their rivalry began. Seireitou's superior skills, perhaps due to the fact that he was really a Sōzōshin, landed him in the top of every class, though they were both even in ; being considered prodigies in their own rights. Even with that, though, Raian only made average scores on his tests, while Seireitou made perfect scores. When Sōjun had days off from his time as a lieutenant in the, he helped Raian train. Eventually, Raian graduated in the same class as Seireitou, Senka Kururugi, and Shiori Miyamoto and went on to be a member of the, as its 16th seat. Seireitou, on the other hand, had become the 5th seat of the. This only intensified Raian's rivalry with Seireitou, though at this point, it was a one-sided rivalry; Seireitou was torn to pieces by the revelation of his brother's, Madara Kawahiru, true nature and was now focusing all of his effort on becoming powerful enough to kill Kamui. Decades following and betrayal yet again struck the two, as Eighth Division captain, Nagato Hiroshitaki revealed himself to be Myoken; the mastermind behind several Soul Society plots. Myoken then attempted to kill Seireitou, though he was thwarted with the combine efforts of Seireitou and Shiori. As the victors over Myoken, Seireitou and Shiori were given high positions in their divisions; with Seireitou becoming a captain. The year directly following, Senka Kururugi became the new captain, and Raian himself had worked his way up to Captain of the Tenth Division.

Seireitou the promoted Akujin, a colleague of his and Raian's, to lieutenant of the Eighth Division. Raian seemed to get along well with Akujin, though on the other hand Seireitou seemed to have suspicions about him. Soon after, on the same night (who is later revealed to have worked with Akujin) used Hollowfication viruses on the, Akujin forced Hollowfication on Seireitou, Senka, and Shiori. Seireitou, along with, was put on trial for experimentation with Hollowfication; a capital offense in Soul Society. Just as he was to be executed, Shiori, who had escaped her own execution, appeared and rescued Seireitou and they, along with the and Urahara's group, fled to the Human World. Raian was initially highly upset after hearing what had befallen Seireitou and his other friends. After Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto mysteriously retires as Head-Captain, Akujin takes the reigns and Raian immediately becomes suspicious. One hundred years later, Akujin suddenly disappears without a trace, making his aunt, Amatarō Omaha, temporary Head-Captain. Amatarō has also suspected by this point that there is something afoul, and sends Raian along with several other captains to Hueco Mundo to hunt for him. They are brutally defeated by an organized Arrancar militia, and so Raian sneaks off to the Human World to find Seireitou and ask for his assistance. Seireitou, who had taken on the guise of a High School teacher in, immediately sensed Raian's reiatsu and went to confront him. Seireitou initially showed bitterness towards Raian, calling him "Shinigami" instead of his real name. This lead to the two rival's first ever battle.

The result was that Raian was easily defeated, and was about to be killed when he made his plea to Seireitou for help. Seireitou, remembering the friendship the two had once shared, accepted. Seireitou personally trained Raian and then sent him back to Soul Society to fight Akujin. Raian makes it back just as Akujin and his Arrancar attack Seireitei. In the ensuing battle, the Gotei 13 is all but defeated and Akujin is about to kill Raian's brother and Seireitou himself, who had come to the aid of Soul Society with what remained of his exiles. Raian saves the two from Akujin's killing blow and then the three fight and kill Akujin, saving Soul Society and becoming well known heroes.

Sometime afterwards, Seireitou learned the truth about his brother Kamui, and, after the latter's arrest by Sao Feng, loses hope and starts to weaken. To restore hope to his friend, Raian finds and battles Seireitou. At the climax of the fight, Raian unleashes the form he used to crush Akujin and then uses its special ability, Shintai no Inyō, to free Seireitou's soul of his despair, losing his Shinigami powers in the process.

Reverted to a mere human at this point, Raian meets Jacqueline, a spiritually aware human, and a user of Naturehold, who explains that she knows Seireitou and his late wife, Shiori. Raian explained to her that Seireitou was off trying to free Kamui from the hands of the Reikai leader, Sao Feng, to which Jacqueline replies that she already knows. She offers to restore Raian's power and connection to the spiritual world, allowing him to help Seireitou again, by using Fullbring. Raian agrees and the two begin a long road of training meant to restore Raian's powers.

After weeks of tiring training, Jacqueline spars with Raian, during which, his Fullbring manifests. Jackie then explains that Raian is in the first stage, which involves materializing the Fullbring in the outside world. She demonstrates her own by manifesting her ability, Suīkiorochi, in front of him. She goes on to explain that the second step in mastering a Fullbring is to resonate with the soul of the object, which alters the object's physical form further and maximizes the Fullbring's power. However, before she can continue his training, he demands to know what a Fullbring is. She explains that a Fullbring is the antithesis to a Naturehold; an ability that manifests in humans that have had contact with a 's spiritual energy.

Jackie then explains that, in order for Raian to master his Fullbring, he needs to manipulate the "soul" of his power. With this in mind, Raian goes on to master Fullbring. He arrives back in the Reikai just in time to help Seireitou free Kamui. Several months later, he and Jacqueline get married.

Equipment
Substitute Shinigami Badge: Once Raian regained his Shinigami powers, he was deemed a useful ally to Soul Society once more. As such, he was given a Shinigami substitute badge to officially mark his status, as well as give him a "license" to hunt Hollows and fight dangers that arise in and around Rider City. Unlike or 's, Raian's badge is gray. The badge gives Raian the ability to separate his soul from his body in the absence of a. It also alerts him to the presence of Hollows in Rider City, like a. The badge can also be dangerous and thus it has built in protection making it invisible to normal Humans.

Current Powers & Abilities
Raian can easily keep up with multiple opponents during battle, and is known to use the Shikai of his sword in various unique ways, allowing him to surprise his foes. He is also accustomed to using various sword designs, enabling to pick up virtually any bladed weapon and use it with the skill of a master. His talent has allowed him to fight on par with the likes of Akujin and Seireitou. : Raian can easily be considered a master of Kidō, being able to use high-level Kidō without incantation, as well as using them in unique fashions. He was skillful enough to preform a #81 Bakudō, , with enough power to block Shiro Morimoto's Zanpakutō; only lightly cracking, but this was probably due to the lack of incantation.

He has shown himself capable of taking on a whole range of opponents while unarmed, even being able to catch their swords with his hands due to his reflexes. : Raian's spiritual power is incredible, considered in league with Seireitou Kawahiru and Akujin in terms of raw spiritual power. Akujin himself has called him a monster because of his. His reiatsu is large enough to cause seemingly impenetrable barriers to crack under stress.

Enhanced Speed: He has shown incredible speed-levels, capable of keeping up with and, in some cases, outrunning captain-class enemies. He does this by pumping raw spiritual power into his leg and feet muscles and using it to propel him in the direction he wants to go. After merging his Fullbring with his Shinigami powers, Raian seems to be able to mix his Bringer Light and Shunpo together to surpass ordinary Shinigami speed.

Enhanced Strength: Raian's true physical prowess goes beyond flashy skills. He can effortlessly stop a punch from the giant Shinigami Chūkin Komamura, who is well known for his physical strength. His strength has allowed him to easily block Renge Yamato's spiritually-enhanced punches or kicks.

Enhanced Durability: Numerous times, Raian has shown himself to take brutal beatings and continue fighting. He is often physically abused, albeit comically, by his best friend Seireitou Kawahiru. During fights with Sao Feng and subsequent battles with Oke Hogosha and Beliar, he has shown to take their powerful attacks head on and still be capable of fighting.

Master Tactician: Raian has been noted on numerous occasions to be a genius when it comes to forming battle tactics as well as analyzing other's battle strategy. He can deduce the nature, power, and effects of an opponent's technique simply by seeing it once. He is easily able to recognize danger and prepare himself well ahead of time. One of his greatest skills is to create several strategies before entering the fray and executing them flawlessly, switching to a different strategy if his initial one fails to meet his expectations.

Zanpakutō
Jūjiraiku (十字若し, Cross-like) is the zanpakutō that resulted when Raian Getsueikirite regained his Shinigami powers via the use of his Fullbring to spark awake the remainder of his Shinigami reiatsu left over after he lost his powers; first his own, and then his Soul Link. As a result, his Fullbring and Jinki Fragment powers have also merged with his Shinigami powers. The sealed state of Jūjiraiku is a basic katana with a rounded, cross-like guard. The spirit of Jūjiraiku is a young man with short, spiky white hair, and red eyes. Due to being a Jinki Fragment of the desire "companionship", as well as having these powers merged with his Shinigami powers, his Zanpakutō gets stronger whenever someone he cares about is in danger.
 * : Jūjiraiku is released by the command "Rip" (鉤裂き, Kagizaki). In Shikai, it takes the form of a rather large broadsword with a half-moon-shaped guard and two tassels handing from the pommel. Raian has stated that the Shikai of his new zanpakutō feels similar to the smaller broadsword that he could summon with his Fullbring, which is possible due to his Shinigami powers merging with his Fullbring. Raian can access the sword's Shikai without a command, most likely because he possesses Bankai.
 * Shikai Special Abilities: Jūjiraiku has stated that Raian's true power has always been the "manipulation of souls", but that, up until he regained his Shinigami powers, he was unable to realize his true strength. Raian has stated that his Zanpakutō's power is the "Transmigration of Souls" (転生, Tensei); meaning that it has the ability to move and command souls to do as Raian directs it to do. This ability makes unnecessary, because simply releasing the sword to Shikai causes any  within his reiatsu's range to be instantly sent to Soul Society. Jūjiraiku has other abilities that branch out from this one;


 * Taisuga Tenshō (太陽牙天衝, Sun Fang Heaven-Piercer): A move drawn from both the powers of his residual Soul Link, as well as his own soul, Raian calls this move the "polar opposite" of 's Getsuga Tenshō. Raian describes this by calling Getsuga Tenshō "the power of the moon", while Taisuga Tenshō is the "power of the sun". In actuality, it is very similar to Ichigo's technique. The blade of Raian's Zanpakutō absorbs his massive reiatsu, releasing it whenever Raian swings his blade. The resulting explosion that can decimate several city blocks, as well as several large skyscrapers. The blasts, if touched, also causing very bad scolding of this skin. Raian calls this technique the "heat of his soul".


 * Keigetsu Tentō (転倒桂月, Inverted Moon): A move drawn from the residual power left over after Raian lost his Soul Link. Jūjiraiku becomes outlined in white spiritual energy, allowing Raian to then release a transparent blast, noticeable only by its white outline. By itself, the move has no special effects other than a destructive explosion, capable of leveling a city block. However, Raian states that, because most of Jūjiraiku's abilities are close-range, he can embed one of Jūjiraiku's other moves into Keigetsu Tentō before launching it. This causes the blast to assume the effects of that ability, effectively allowing that ability to become long-range. Raian has also stated that, due to the move's origins, use of this move on its own allows him to automatically cancel out a Getsuga Tenshō of any strength. The blast is wheel-shaped, much like the sun, and is white with a violet outline.


 * Soul Interference: In a similar manner to his Fullbring and first zanpakutō, Jūjiraiku has the ability to cut the soul of objects. It is then able to manipulate the soul of whatever it cuts. If it cuts an inanimate object, it makes it harder for anyone using a Fullbring power to Fullbring that object. When used against another Fullbring itself, a mere cut from Jūjiraiku on either the user or the Fullbring itself, can render the Fullbring useless. When used against a Shinigami, Jūjiraiku can manipulate their souls to the point that the zanpakutō of the effected Shinigami does not recognize its wielder and therefore, will not obey them by any means. Use against a Hollow results in the Hollow completely evaporating. The effects of the ability are permanent unless Raian stabs the affected person's heart with Jūjiraiku. This does not seem to be fatal, but it undoes Jūjiraiku's ability on that person. It does seem to cause considerable pain, however.


 * Tenirei Kengen (転移の霊権限, Transference of Spiritual Authority): A rarely used ability of Jūjiraiku's, Tenirei Kengen allows Raian to absorb the soul of a being he has pierced with Jūjiraiku. The process can take various amounts of time, depending on the level of spiritual energy the being pierced has. The progress of the process can be observed on Jūjiraiku's guard. As the soul is absorbed, the guard of Jūjiraiku will light up to show how much has been absorbed. Once the soul has been completely absorbed, the meter completes itself. For Jūjiraiku to continue draining a being of its soul, it must stay embedded within the the being. The soul, in whatever level it has been absorbed, can be used for many things. It can be used to heal wounds, to restore Raian's reiatsu, or strengthen his attacks. He can also use the soul as a cloak, making his reiatsu signature the signature of the soul's original owner. This ability can be both lethal and non-lethal. If he only absorbs a small amount of the soul, he can still use it to achieve its purposes without killing the target. However, once a target's soul has been completely removed, that person will die.


 * Kiteni (気転移, Spirit Transference): When his opponent attacks him with an attack made of spiritual energy, Raian can absorb the energy, filling up the meter on his Shikai's guard. The attack then resonates with his soul, making it faster and more powerful than it was originally fired, and then fires it back at its owner.


 * : Kenyūkō Jūjiraiku (剣友交十字若し, Cross-like Sword of Companionship): In Bankai, Raian's appearance is dramatically altered; taking on a form similar to his completed Jinki Fragment Mode. His hair elongates, with a white top and a black bottom; similar in appearance to a yin-yang sign, which was the theme of his previous zanpakutō. His shihakushō becomes a large black kimono, which only comes up to his mid-torso. He also wears a hakama of similar design, but it seems to flail out into ragged and tattered ends, similar to Ichigo Kurosaki's Tensa Zangetsu; possibly a result of his lost Soul Link, though this is unconfirmed. In Bankai, Raian appears to be barefooted, having lost his tabi upon his transformation. The broadsword of his Shikai is replaced with a black, curved katana, with a guard shaped like an eye and a purple hilt.
 * Bankai Special Ability: Raian has stated that his Bankai also possess the ability to manipulate souls, but that it goes a step further than his Shikai's power. In Bankai, Kenyūkō Jūjiraiku draws upon the "souls of [his] companions", by growing stronger whenever he feels the conviction to protect them. It's final ability is it's power to "reap" souls. Raian has referred to this form as the true Soul Reaper (魂刈り手, Tamashi Karite), as a single swipe from its blade can "reap" the souls of everything in its range. For this reason, it is the ideal weapon for fighting large numbers of Hollows, as well as purifying a large number of Plus. If a target has not trained his or her soul enough (via Shinigami training or some other form of soul training), their soul is ripped from their body and absorbed by the sword instead of sending them to like a normal zanpakutō. Even targets with trained souls often find the tug on their soul to be immense whenever they are around Kenyūkō Jūjiraiku. Raian's Bankai has been called the Reaper of Death (刈り手死去, Karite no Shikyo) by Mashū Getsueikirite, who's own Bankai has been referred to as the Reaper of Life. Yūbi once said, "This reiatsu...?! I feel as if my very soul is being called out of my body!" in reference to this Bankai's release.
 * Gidan (疑団, A Doubt That Lurks in One's Heart That Cannot be Resolved): For his opponents, even crossing blades with Kenyūkō Jūjiraiku is dangerous. Touching his sword results in the target's soul becoming distorted. At first, the effects are barely noticeable. The more the target touches the sword of Kenyūkō Jūjiraiku, the more distorted that soul becomes until the target is no longer able to use their spiritual bodies properly. Use of a Fullbring, Naturehold, or even a Zanpakutō becomes nearly impossible due to the inability for the target's soul to commune with another soul. The effect has a flaw, however. If the target is able to touch Kenyūkō Jūjiraiku's hilt before the ability is induced, they will not be effected by Gidan, however, this is a guarded secret that Raian almost never tells to anyone. Once the ability is in effect, however, touching the hilt will do nothing.


 * Enhanced Taisuga Tenshō: In Bankai, Taisuga Tenshō is improved. The blasts become smaller but retain their golden colored reiatsu. Though smaller, the blasts of Taisuga Tenshō pack more explosive powers than their Shikai form. They also have more cutting power in them, being able to easily slice through an Arrancar's hierro. In addition to this, he can also fire multiple blasts at once. They also retain the burning effect of the Shikai version.


 * Reisaishu (霊採取, Departed Soul Harvesting): The second ability of Raian's Bankai allows him to reap the souls of any untrained soul near him, absorbing those souls into the blade, with just a simple swipe of his Bankai sword. Even a trained soul will feel greatly fatigued due to the sheer ferocity of the tug on their soul when this ability is used. If Raian is able to cut his target with Kenyūkō Jūjiraiku, he can connect his blade to his foe's soul, no matter their strength, allowing him to constantly pull at their soul until it gets pulled from its vessel and absorbed into the blade. The strong the opponent, the stronger they will be able to resist such a power. Once there are souls within the blade, Raian can release them as a large skull-shaped blast of spiritual energy, the explosion of which can level several city blocks.


 * Saigo no Reisaishu (最後の霊採取, Final Departed Soul Harvesting): In order to use this technique, Raian first swings his sword to the left, gathering black reiatsu on the blade. He then swings it right, increasing the amount of reiatsu on the blade. This reiatsu then overtakes him in a swirling motion. When he can be seen again, Raian's black kimono turns white and his Bankai sword turns into a large scythe covered in black reiatsu. In this form he refers to himself as the Black Reaper (黒の死神, Kuro no Shinigami). Raian states that, unlike Ichigo's "Final" Getsuga Tenshō, the "Final" in "Final" Reisaishu refers to the ability being the final death for anything it effects. Unlike his previous Zanpakutō's power, using this form does not result in the loss of his Shinigami powers. This form allows for the use of Kūkūten, as well as the form's secondary ability. Use of Kūkūten results in the transformation dissipating. Afterwards, Raian is unable to use it for six days.
 * Enhanced Reisaishu: With the scythe provided by this form, Raian can easily use the same powers granted to him by his Bankai's Reisaishu ability, only on a grander scale.
 * Kūkūten (空空天, Void-filled Skies): Using this technique causes the black flame-like reiatsu on the scythe to multiply until it consumes the area like a wildfire. This power literally burns away the soul of all those caught within it, preventing them from going to Soul Society, Hell, or even Hueco Mundo; resulting in them being unable to reincarnate.

Trivia

 * In terms of stat totals, Raian shares the same sum as ; 560.
 * His theme song, according to his creator, is "What You Want", the new single by, while his soundtrack theme song is "Cometh the Hour, Part A" from the Bleach movie, Hell Verse, as well as "Mysterious" from the anime OST.
 * According to the author, were this an actual anime, Raian would be voiced by, the seiyū for both Gaara from Naruto, and Kusaka from Bleach: DiamondDust Rebellion.

Quotes

 * (To Mūkade) "Watch closely. See how much strength lies in these things you consider irrelevant. The sharpness of this sword my soul placed everything into crafting. Burn this into your memory!"


 * "'Saigo no Reisaishu'... Using this technique, I will end your life, in every way possible. There can be no revival. There can be no reincarnation. It is the final step for your existance... that's why it's called 'final'."