| Kotone Takahashi | |
|---|---|
| |
| Birthdate | March 15 |
| Gender | Female |
| Species | Kenrei |
| Previous Affiliation | Gotei 13 |
| Family | |
|
Katashi Takahashi (twin brother) | |
Kotone Takahashi (高橋 琴音; Takahashi Kotone) was a shinigami who was submitted to an experiment that gave her unusual powers. She became skeptical of the Gotei 13 and its moral compass, and refused to help them for centuries.
Biography[]
Early years[]
The slightly older twin, Kotone felt responsible for the well being of her brother, despite their near-equal age. Both Katashi and Kotone looked out for one another, especially while in the academy. They were rarely apart in that time, even when serving detentions or other forms of punishment: the twins dealt with them together. After graduation, they were assigned to different divisions, thus forced to part. They met whenever they could, but it was the Kenrei Project that really brought them together.
The Kenrei Project[]
Kotone was the average shinigami within the Gotei 13, serving in the Correctional Force as an ordinary member. It was when she received a letter stating that she has been personally selected by the Captain of the Twelfth Division to take part in an experiment designed to enhance one's strengths to better combat the hollow. She could hardly give "no" for an answer, and entered the experiment. It turned out that Kotone was tricked into believing that she was merely helping, when, in fact, she was a test subject.
Kenji's self-devised escape plan was not without subtle entry, activating the lab's security systems. Kotone was instantly awakened by the sirens.
Unable to back out of the experiment, Kotone was subject to multiple tests, and eventually the three-part forbidden kidō spell, cast by the Kidō Corps, which fused her with the spirit of her zanpakutō. She barely survived the procedure, and was soon scheduled for extermination, due to the apparent failure of the project. She believed her life was at its end until Kenji Fujibayashi, the one whose zanpakutō brought about inspiration for the Kenrei project, freed her and her comrades, and they fled to the human world.
Personality and traits[]
She has a sarcastic attitude and could potentiallly come off as slightly bratty. However Kotone has a pure heart, and would not abandon a comrade unless explicitly told otherewise. Even if it appears that Kotone is always on edge with her twin brother, both he and herself knows that she does not really mean to be cruel.
Like other members of the Kenrei, Kotone holds a grudge against Soul Society for using her in such a non-humane method.
Powers and abilities[]
Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: She specializes in hand-to-hand combat so that Kotone could keep her hands free.
Flash Step Master: Due to the need for messages to get to where they need to go as quickly as possible, Kotone has placed focus on hohō and shunpo.
Master Foresight: Because of the Kenrei experiment, Kotone has inherited her zanpakutō's ability to see into the future. How far Kotone can look into the future depends on the level of concentration given into foresight.
Zanpakutō[]
Kotone donning her released zanpakutō.
Ayumu (歩夢; lit. walking dream) is Kotone's kidō-type zanpakutō prior to the Kenrei Experiments.
- Wakai: Since it makes no difference whether it is activated or not, Kotone often leaves her wakai active. With this power, Kotone can effortlessly predict the future, without having to make any gestures; concentrating on predicting the future is usually enough to get the job done. She also obtained the ability to manipulate a target's vision in an illusory technique. It was most likely a second ability of her zanpakutō that was previously unknown to her.
- Shikai: Kotone's zanpakutō transforms into a pair of studded gloves. Kotone can predict the near-future by pressing a glove to the center of her forehead. With such knowledge, Kotone could react accordingly. Since she was transformed into a kenrei, Kotone lost the ability to activate shikai.
- Bankai: Never achieved
Behind the Scenes[]
Kotone and Katashi were chosen to partake in the experiment to see if there were side effects of the forbidden kidō associated with gender.
Kotone was originally named Chiyo, but the name was changed to better suit her zanpakutō.