Hollow Raian

Hollow Raian (虚 (ホロウ) 手梁, Horō Raian) is an entity called an which was created when Raian first gained Hollow powers in, causing a Hollow to develop within his soul. Like most Inner Hollows, he is the result of a process and is the manifestation of the darkness within Raian's soul. He is said to represent Raian's basest instincts.

As he is apart of Raian's soul, he and Jūjiraiku are both separate manifestations of Raian's spiritual power, although the two beings are technically one. Because of this, even though Hollow Raian controls Raian's Hollow powers, his Shinigami powers also draw from him.

Appearance
Hollow Raian has consistently remained almost completely identical to Raian himself, with inverted colors. He is normal height for a grown man, standing at the exact same height as Raian does. He possesses pale white skin and long white hair, like most Inner Hollows.

He wears a white shihakushō with a black undershirt, which has a raised color that possesses white trim. He also wears a white hakama and black tabi. Like Raian, Hollow Raian also wears a belt with which he caries his Zanpakutō. The belt is black in color, with silverish-white belt buckles. Lastly, he wears black gloves over his hands.

Personality
Hollow Raian possesses many of Raian's own personality traits, while others have been warped to Raian's exact opposite. Generally, the inner Hollow can control itself and give off a calm and serious attitude, much like Raian's own personality. However, in stark contrast to Raian, the inner Hollow can be over confident and arrogant at the exact same time, characterized by his signature grin.

Perhaps as a direct result of Raian being considered weak when he was younger, the inner Hollow does not tolerate weakness; in Raian, in others, or even in himself. He claims that it is because of this that he is stronger than Raian. While Raian exudes coldness in battle, Hollow Raian takes to combat in an almost playful manner, though is completely brutal and unrelenting in combat. The inner Hollow is harsh with his words, and cares very little for showing respect to anyone but Jūjiraiku; his other half.

Because the Hollow is the manifestation of Raian's base instincts, it often rears its head whenever he has the strong desire to protect someone or something important to him. It is actually shown that Hollow Raian cares for the same people and the same things that Raian does, much to the latter's shock, but that the inner Hollow believes Raian is far too weak and soft to protect those things himself. It is for this reason, the Hollow claims, that it manifests and goes on rampages. In these cases, the Hollow is clearly in complete control.

While the desire to protect is one of the strongest reasons why the Hollow appears, the feeling of despair causes the inner Hollow to evolve. Enough despair warps the Hollow into a mindless killing machine that will stop at nothing to both kill and obliterate anyone and anything in Raian's path. When this is the case, it is unknown who is in control, because the Hollow becomes a complete beserker.

Powers & Abilities
The inner Hollow can easily keep up with multiple opponents during battle, and is known to use the sealed form and 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 creativity and skill with a Zanpakutō is said to be above even Raian's, making the Hollow a formidable and dangerous foe.

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.

He is one of the few Inner Hollows to actually preform Kidō.

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 most 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 Raian merged his Fullbring with his Shinigami powers, Hollow Raian gained more power, and now seems to be able to mix Bringer Light and Shunpo together to surpass ordinary speeds, even for an Inner Hollow.

Enhanced Strength: Hollow Raian is easily stronger than Raian, physically. The wake from a sword swing produced by the inner Hollow has the ability to demolish the ground beneath him for several feet. He can throw Raian a great distance with relative ease and even block powerful punches from larger opponents.

Possession: Hollow Raian is capable of taking over Raian's body and powers when Raian falls unconscious in a fight. In this occurrence, Raian's sclera blacken and his irises glow golden-yellow in combination with a Hollow mask forming on the left side of his face. The transformations can progress the deeper into despair Raian is.

Master Tactician: Hollow Raian possesses Raian's thought processes, and 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
Since Raian developed Hollow Raian within his soul, Jūjiraiku and the Hollow are both the source of his power and share the same spiritual body in Raian's inner world, the stronger presence retaining more control (and overall appearance) of their body; in which case, the spirit of Hollow Raian takes the form of an all-white (clothes and being), somewhat deranged version of Shinigami Raian with a strong desire take control of Ichigo's body and power for himself.

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. Because of this, Hollow Raian is also able to use the zanpakutō. The sealed state of Jūjiraiku is a basic katana with a rounded, cross-like guard.


 * : 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.
 * 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. 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, Hollow Raian calls this move the "polar opposite" of 's Getsuga Tenshō. In actuality, it is very similar to Ichigo's technique. The blade of Hollow 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. Hollow Raian's attack is black in color, rather than golden.


 * 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 black spiritual energy, allowing Hollow Raian to then release a transparent blast, noticeable only by its black 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. Hollow 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 black with a white outline.


 * Soul Interference: In a similar manner to Raian's old 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 Hollow 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 Hollow 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 Hollow 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, Hollow 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, Hollow Raian's appearance is dramatically altered; taking on a form similar to Raian's completed Jinki Fragment Mode. His hair elongates, with a black top and a white bottom; similar in appearance to a yin-yang sign, which was the theme of his previous zanpakutō. His shihakushō becomes a large white 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 Raian's lost Soul Link, though this is unconfirmed. In Bankai, Hollow Raian appears to be barefooted, having lost his tabi upon his transformation. The broadsword of his Shikai is replaced with a white, curved katana, with a guard shaped like an eye and a purple hilt.
 * Bankai Special Ability: 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. Hollow 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.
 * 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 Hollow 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 black-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 Hollow 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 Hollow 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, Hollow 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, Hollow Raian first swings his sword to the left, gathering white 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, Hollow Raian's white kimono turns black and his Bankai sword turns into a large scythe covered in white reiatsu. 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, Hollow Raian is unable to use it for six days.
 * Enhanced Reisaishu: With the scythe provided by this form, Hollow 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

 * The art on this page was drawn and colored by the author of the article.