Echo

Echo (響, Ekō or イン ひびき, Hibiki) is a mysterious entity in the Bleach Fan Fiction universe that is renowned for striking fear into the hearts of both mortals and immortals alike.

Appearance
Echo is best described as a well built man with short black hair (tinted blue) with multiple bangs and possesses a light complexion. On the occasion that he has been seen and has left a witness standing, he is known to typically wear a black muscle tank top with silver lining with matching pants and boots. Over this, he almost always wears a long black trench coat.

It is important to note that many other fearsome--yet exaggerated--descriptions of the appearance of Echo have been made by those who spin tales among their kind, whether it be throughout the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, or Earth.

Personality
In correspondence to his shadowed upbringing and subjectively villainous nature, Echo possesses a deeply cynical view of the world. Although he recognizes that everyone is capable of "good", he realizes that everybody is bound to eventually make a mistake, one that may cost the lives of many around them. For this reason, he places an unshakably low value on life in general, considering only those he deems worthy as having the right to cling to their existence.

Echo displays what can only be labelled as a complicated sense of honor, as he will slaughter the weak and/or defenseless without mercy, yet shows due respect to those powerful enough to meet him in single combat. This complex results from his disregard for life meeting his unquenchable thirst to be the ultimate life form without any below-the-belt aid. It can also be assumed that he takes grand amusement from all of his challengers, as he is often seen bearing a sadistic smirk while addressing them with their appropriate titles.

A prominent characteristic of Echo is his almost scary amount of confidence, which stands out among even his fellow Yonkō. He claims to possess no arrogance, but only speaks of preeminent victory if it absolutely certain. Keeping this in mind, it is shocking to know how often he is sure of himself. On the other end of the spectrum, Echo possesses a vast amount of pride that is perhaps his greatest weakness. Since he always does his research, Echo is not able to admit to any errors on his part, as he claims to have risen above the other pieces in creation. His unyielding since of perfection is most often seen when something in fact does not go according to plan, as his first defense is to excuse his role in the scenario. Nonetheless, this superiority complex is often seen to be justified, as the mighty Yonkō is known to have never been formally defeated in battle or strategy.

History
There is no concrete documentation on the origins of the being known as Echo, yet several tales have been passed through the many cultures of the Soul Society and Earth. There are three of these in particular that have become the most popular theories.

The Merciless Scourge
The first account to explain his roots claims that he was the son of a bitter warlord who lost all of his fame and fortune in his final campaign, forced to go into hiding while raising his only son for the remainder of his days. Directing his hatred and contempt at his fate on the boy, he trained him with remarkable vigor and unyielding cruelty from the age he could walk, forcing him to the brink of death on a regular basis. He pushed his body far past his physical limits, forcing him to rely on raw willpower in order to hold his body together. He instilled within him ideals of mercilessness and devastation, hoping that he would avoid the mistakes that the great warlord had made himself and never fail to hesitate out of compassion or humanity. One day he placed his son on a rack, ripping his limbs apart slowly to build up his tolerance of agonizing pain, all the while lecturing him on how it was his duty to as an all consuming fire, scouring the land and leaving nothing weak enough to be considered a liability. Unfortunately for the warrior, his son took these words to heart, ripping free of his bonds and cuts down the former in a pitifully one-sided battle. Using his staggering willpower and abilities, he and an elite group of men overtook the land as an unstoppable scourge. In the aftermath, the mighty general vanished from the mortal plain, leaving only a legend in his wake.

The Rat King
A second story detailing his beginnings suggests that he was born into a family that succumbed to a deadly sickness and was orphaned at an early age, left to fend for himself in a large bay side city. In this city, one was either fabulously wealthy or hopelessly poor, meaning there was no time spent on orphanages. The orphaned child spent much of his time among a similarly fated group of children ranging from the age of four to sixteen. These children were forced to grovel and beg for scraps, or simply scavenge any available leftovers. Just as the small boy was getting used to his new life, a potent famine passed through the entire land.

This famine was potent enough that it gave cause for the rich to no longer have any scraps to toss out, leaving the homeless poor with absolutely nothing. The children began to deteriorate until the oldest ones of the group made a bold decision that resulted from their desperation. With no scraps available and every door and market locked tight, they forced the younger members of their group--including Echo--to hunt the legion of rats that scoured the city. If they failed to recover enough to feed the eldest, they would be eaten themselves. The first deadline given to the youngsters approached and many of the children failed to hunt any of the animals. Unable to flee since the city was on lock down from the plague, they were forced to commit suicide or face their fate. Thanks to the cleverness of the boy who would become Echo, he constructed traps that caught multiple animals, saving himself from a grim fate. He even caught enough for the others to take back as well, but most were too weak and could not resist eating the food themselves. They were stoned to death and eaten immediately after, some cooked and others not. The child initially refused to partake, surviving on sewer water and the occasional hidden piece of rat every few days. Nonetheless, he eventually broke, snatching some of the flesh of his fallen comrades for himself. He was now the last of the children under ten that was still alive, and he finally had enough.

He summoned the children to the entrance of a sewer, where he claimed to have found more rats than he could apprehend on his own. He led them to the inner most depths of the canals, where a large nest of several thousand of the creatures lay. The boy grinned with an insidious satisfaction as the brutal animals ran past him and covered the older children from head to toe, devouring their flesh from their ever-living bodies. Screams echoed for miles in the subterranean canals, yet the city above remained quiet and unaware. The boy had been secretly feeding the horde of rats the human flesh of his fallen friends, orchestrating a plot to permanently silence his oppressors. Following this event he became known as the Rat King, a nocturnal terror who used his supernatural abilities to consume the life force and energy of those who were unfortunate enough to dwell outside of the walls of the inner city. Using a powerful blend of tactics, power, and mind-bending techniques, the Rat King was able to gather enough influence to storm the homes of the rich, who eventually succumbed to the whispers of their soon-to-be lord and became thralls of the shadowy menace. After its complete assimilation, the city eerily faded from the memory of the people in the nation until even its location and existence was debatable, leaving only the fable of the invincible Rat King to remain.

The Tainted Host
The final and most horrific apologue spun by the folk across the realm of existence begins with his childhood in a peaceful village isolated from the worries of the world. Ages ago, it was inhabited by a civilization that left no trace of their ancient culture or cause of demise, leaving nothing but a desolate wilderness after an all-encompassing fire. After a passing of time, the village once again became filled with meadows, forests, and streams. Its unrivaled abundance and untainted beauty were preserved by its separation from the traffic of general society, essentially making it an oasis for any and all who knew of it to enjoy. Around the time of the birth of a child with undeniable potential, a heinous force descended upon the town. Spirits of unconfirmed nature ravaged the once-peaceful society through the cruelest of means, including the rape and mutilation of women, children dragged through the streets and splattered against walls, domesticated animals turning violent, and various other atrocities.

A group of men who lived in the village were sent to investigate an ancient precursor tomb in the marshes, the only plausible source of the madness. The young man of unnatural talent was supposedly among these men, voluntarily facing fear head on in order to fulfill his growing ambitions. They entered the tomb carrying torches while leaving the stone door guarding it open. The moment the pursuers of evil stepped through the threshold, the boy began to hear faints whispers in his head, believing himself to be imagining things. He spoke of this to his acquaintance and fellow pupil, a bright young prodigy of his own age, though he did not speak of the nature of which the voices spoke. Passing through several corridors and passages, the battle-ready men pushed onward until nothing but the stench of ancient death remained.

Entering the large, open room filled with altars decorated in the fashion of royalty, each individual looked at one another nervously and understood just how vulnerable they were. In a town of piece, no one was particularly well suited for battle, save for the occasional refugee from a past war. Suddenly and without warning, every torch present went out and a large slamming noise behind alerted them to the harsh truth that their only escape had just sealed shut. The young man squinted, peering through the darkness and by chance began to notice just how peculiar his surroundings were. There were large chalices with human teeth embedded in them on every tomb, with sacrificial embalming tools all around. Beneath them was a thin but deep canal that was caked in a decaying brown substance: blood. Before Echo had the time to voice his opinion on these findings, one of his fellow guardians (the tax collector, by the sound of it) wailed in pure terror followed immediately by agony, and in a brief flash of illumination was seen skewered onto the ceiling.

Using innate survival instincts, the young man dashed passed his awestruck comrades, climbing a tall statue in the corner--what seemed to be the safest area in the room--and could only observe what he could in the pitch darkness. In a short flicker, another two men shouted loudly before choking on their own fluids, and in another short burst of light it could be seen that their jugular veins had been ripped straight out of their necks. This was enough to snap the others out of their trances of sheer horror, causing each man to withdraw their blade and subsequently slash wildly. Perhaps it was for the reason that he knew they had no chance against the specters that the young man did not move, but rather further investigate the architecture and artifacts found in the room. He had come to the conclusion that the ancient civilization partook in some sort of cannibalistic ritual for one reason or another. Whether it was to any deity or simply for a twisted form of glory, he did not know. Upon looking back into the fray, he noticed that only two men remained: a village fisherman and his fellow student. Dropping down from his perch, the boy drew his own weapon, wielding it and looking frantically about in hopes to catch sight of the shadowy foe. Flash. The room was lighted by a faint glow originating from the multiple tombs lining the walls and canal.

Something slowly rose from the foggy outskirts of the chamber, looming in a hunch as it swayed slowly before standing to its full height. Its decayed flesh was protruding with maggots, and its exposed and contorted skeleton was stained crimson. It wore tattered red ceremonial robes and several golden rings, each decorated with teeth or sharpened nails. Its eye sockets seeped with a red essence that permeated throughout the room, and it housed within its jaw structure a surprisingly intact set of teeth that were more pointed than spears. The young man dug his heels into the stone beneath him, remaining calm and assuredly not making any sudden movements. The fisherman, however, was not quite as intelligent and bolted in the opposite direction, trembling to such a degree that he almost seemed to be dancing. Without any visible explanation, the bobbing head of the fisherman immediately turned full circle, snapping off like a twig and allowing his body to tumble forward into the mouth of the canal. A trickle of blood flowed down the narrow path towards the haunting being that stood before the two remaining villagers.

The rival of the young man pleaded out loud to the latter, beginning for him to think of some form of salvation, but the mind of the boy had started to wander down roads of inhumanity that he formerly thought himself to be better than. In a bid to ensure his survival, the young man slit his wrists deeply, allowing his blood to poor openly towards the creature. He suggested that it was time for it to rest, and as a member of its lineage, he was bound to continue the legacy of slaughter in life and death himself. The creature twitched about in response, folding and turning about in ways unnatural for any humanoid before stepping slowly towards its descendant.

The other warrior could not believe his own eyes, continually stating his disbelief before stepping backwards, feeling along the walls for the exit. He turned around for a split second after hearing a faint moan, seeing that the walking corpse had draped itself over the boy, slowly shriveling as the latter radiated with an ancient aura. He turned to his cornered friend as the specter dissolved into a wisp and entered his mouth and nose, breathing it all in with a proud grin before informing the terrified victim that the spirits had been telling him to fulfill his destiny. Before the now sniveling warrior-to-be could utter a response, the being now known as Echo stated that he now knew what that was.

Only one of the two emerged from the crypt that night, but neither made it back to the village as a citizen. The man with a tainted heart assumed full control of the great power hidden beneath the village, and calamities beyond even what had previously occurred now plagued the town. No resistance was powerful enough to stop this all-consuming force, and even the central nation of the world would not send troops to aid the dying people. Whether this was out of terror or prioritizing overall troop count above a small town was never clearly disclosed. Regardless, nothing could stop the newly awakened walking Armageddon, even as it worked through the shadows from which it came.

Abilities
Genius Intellect: Indisputably, the most powerful tool in the arsenal of Echo is his pure intellect, which rests well above the level of genius. He can easily formulate strategies and tactics, analyze spontaneously occurring situations and respond through the use of his quick wit, and absorb newly acquired knowledge almost instantaneously. It has been noted that at various points throughout his life, Echo has conducted many controversial experiments on both the living and deceased in order to gain a further understanding of the constituent components of life. His ability to assimilate the life force of others is even rumored to provide him with the knowledge that was previously available to the victim at their time of death or capture, meaning that--in theory--his intelligence has no true limitations.


 * Master Manipulator: A Machiavellian at heart, Echo is the epitome of acute adroitness and raw cunning. It only takes one interaction for Echo to piece together enough about an individual for him to pinpoint their strengths, weaknesses, mannerisms, and--beneath the skin--what makes them tick. He has stated that his plans are thorough enough to occur without question, and that he has anticipated multiple possible futures that will lead to the same outcome. Even when his plans are defied he is not deterred, only expressing surprise that one particular possible future was chosen over another. Despite this, his obsession with precision has allowed him to premeditate on each possibility and adapt in response to any resistance before it even occurs. In essence, his vast intellect has given him the aptitude to formulate  overarching plans that exist within several different circumstantially varying smaller plans, an invaluable tool in any given situation.


 * Master Tactician: There was once a man who managed to get a hold of Echo long enough to request his aid in a battle (in exchange for one-hundred and thirty souls) who effectively survived to tell a tale that included the following quote: "Not only is this...force of nature twenty steps ahead of everyone else, he has taken into account that we would be having this conversation and planned twenty steps ahead of that. We can only hope moving forward that his grand scheme involves a happy ending for a few of us."

This is a testament to the seemingly clairvoyant level of anticipation possessed by Echo, who consistently dominates entire battles days before they occur. Those who are familiar with him realize that surprising him at all is a feat in itself, whilst those who do not never last long enough to know the difference. His raw intellectual prowess in conjunction with his ability to manipulate the actions of others through his will and understanding of their nature makes him a terror-invoking foe to anyone. It is even rumored that he knows a number of ways to reach and destroy the Soul King (but has no desire to do such, as he sees the figurehead monarch as a waste of time.)

Arcane Master:

Within his deadly arsenal, Echo possesses a variety of spell-like abilities that revolve around the manipulation of energy/reishi, the converting of substances, and potent forms of conjuration. Echo has stated that the incantations of these spells have been long forgotten by the modern world and typically require the use of an ancient tongue, but his mastery and particular lineage have allowed him to perform impressive displays innately.

Based on what is known of his clouded past, Echo has some sort of connection to the practice of. He has ascended to a state in which rather than physically consume his foes, the maleficent assailant is able to directly feed off of the life force of another creature (human, animal, shinigami, etc.). His use of the arcane arts is appropriately suited to his status as an imposed apex predator and his most effective spells are built around efficiently draining his enemies dry of their life energy.

The most basic of his techniques allows him to instantly siphon a portion of life energy from an opponent through a gesture of his hand. Unlike spiritual pressure, which can vary drastically between individuals, life force is fairly consistent in its level and in itself cannot be increased through training or meditation. This being said, only the parameters that protect the life force of one can be altered, such as physical and mental fortitude, spiritual pressure, and willpower. These elements are what compose how much Echo can seize from his foes at a time. For example, an average human or shinigami can be instantly bled dry of their life sustenance, whereas a powerful foe can only drained in portions (though after they are weakened, his grasp over them increases). If utilizing this technique for sheer feeding purposes, the victim typically drops to the ground in a heap before the body can even react. Echo, being the sadist he is, typically makes use of it for entertainment purposes, allowing his enemies to literally wither in front of him, decaying like a perennial flower before disintegrating before his eyes (It is noted that this method actually seems to sustain and empower him for longer periods of time.)

In the past, Echo has used the aforementioned endowment in order to twist the life force of weaker beings to his amusement, often times creating slaves enthralled to him until their death from battle or his increased hunger/boredom. It is speculated that when dealing with higher level combatants he cannot accomplish full control, yet he often tempers with both mind and body in order to gain an extra edge.

Another ability he frequently uses allows him to fundamentally mold and alter certain living beings by mixing his arcane knowledge and sinister reitatsu to effectively bend life and death to his will, a method he has invoked in the past to conduct many of his forbidden experiments. While enacting these spells, Echo is capable of feats such as, , and. Using these, he has been shown to raise the dead, create reitatsu-infused minerals or corrosive poison, and ridiculously amplify or debilitate the capabilities of another individual.

The exact limitations of the Arcane mastery displayed by Hibiki is unknown, as many of his spells have never been seen by a living soul. Through intense focus, he has stated that he can cast his spells on multiple targets at once, though this has never been witnessed.

Immense Spiritual Power:

The true reason to fear the incredible spiritual pressure of Echo is not associated with his amount (which is presumably vast), but rather the concentrated potency and unique properties he controls.

Master Swordsman:

Grand Master of Hohō:

Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant:

Trivia

 * Echo was the name of the very first character created by the author on Naruto Fanon and has carried with him a famed legacy among users for his cunning and prowess. This is his latest rendition since a one year hiatus of the author.


 * Like the author, Echo is left-handed. This characteristic also alludes to his allegiances and the path he has chosen.