[Spirit Class 9 | Hazard D] Fuuen

○ Name: Otonashi Masaru (音無 勝) ○ Alias: Fuuen (風縁, Wind Boundary) ○ Age: ~600 ○ Gender: Male. ○ Race: Plus ○ Affiliation: Gotei United, 7th Division Substitute ○ Alignment: True Neutral ○ Marital Status: Single ○ Nationality: Japanese ○ Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual ○ Special Skill: Drawing a face after seeing it once. ○ Ideal Mate: Autistic Artistic ○ Height: 5’9” ○ Weight: Healthy. ○ Hair Colour: Black ○ Eye Colour: Red

Fuuen acts much as the winds from which he takes his name, simply watching many of the world’s events occur as an observer rather than choosing to engage in violence. He has no interest in engaging in conflict, as not only do the majority of battles simply not concern him, but it would be a disservice to his sword to involve it in something relatively petty. This detachment does not extend to simple interpersonal interactions, however, as he simply could not imagine an existence where he cared neither for events nor people. At that point he may as well simply not exist, and such an end is hardly enticing for anyone.

Fuuen's pride is something of a complicated issue. He is not proud of himself, per se. Rather, he is proud of his accomplishments with the sword, and of the many things he has seen in the world. He considers his swordsmanship to be something developed for its own sake, not for the purpose of killing, and he would never deign to sully his blade unless it was absolutely necessary. Indeed, he rarely draws the sword at all, and when he does it is only to practice forms, rather than for actual combat.

Though he once lacked the ability to maintain any memory, such is no longer the case, and there is almost a fervor now for which he lives his life. While he has always felt a passion for the arts, for the beauty in fine food, in the world around him, there is something infinitely more appealing in it all now that he can truly take such things to heart. Fuuen has known the tragedy that is impermanence, has known that nothing has any meaning if one cannot remember it, and there is a certain seriousness with which he treats his every action. After all, life only has meaning when one affirms it.


○ Elyss Kishimoto: A woman that he considers both a friend and a student, only with the return of his memory has it occurred to Fuuen that this is a woman he ought to worry over more than he has. He would rather like to help her, if he knew but how.

○ Yugiri: A pleasant woman, in both demeanor and appearance. His opinion has developed no further than that.


Fuuen, known as Otonashi Masaru in his life, was a ronin duelist of moderate renown in the late Edo period, born in 1815. His skill with the sword was exceptional, though not what one would call unrivaled or other such hyperbolic terms. Indeed, he is at best a historical footnote from this time, and the only facet of his life which saved him from absolute obscurity was the entirely unique style of swordplay which he applied to dueling. Though fundamentally built upon iaido, as a great many dueling forms were, Masaru applied this in a manner which was unorthodox, to say the very least. Rather than using any sort of blade which might have been considered quickly accessible, Masaru used a blade which he had personally requested, and paid for with every koku he had. Modeled after the famed monohoshizao of the duelist Sasaki Kojiro, Masaru's blade, which he christened the Yuudachi, was 6 feet in length in its entirety. While normally a blade of this length might have hindered one's ability to draw it quickly, Masaru had cut a sizable amount of its sheathe away, allowing him to draw it in a wide, forceful swing rather than the usual motion.

Of course, those who lost to a style so absurd and out of touch with proper swordplay were left rather shamed by the occurrence, and their families, students, and teachers began to despise this ridiculous ronin, who devalued the duel with his comical approach to combat. Masaru put no stock in this mockery and ire, of course, and continued to duel with little care for the outcome. There was no final duel which put him over the line, as is often the case in tales like his, no opponent who was a notch above him or too well-connected for him to get away with defeating. No, he was simply declared a public nuisance by the shogunate, and a bounty was put on his head. His last duel was in the year 1866, and while normally it would not be worth mentioning such a thing, his opponent was none other than Sakamoto Ryoma, under his alias of Saitani Umetaro. Masaru lost this duel, though he considered it to have been among his best, and only three days later, he was found and killed by several members of the Shinsengumi. Though he was able to kill only a single one of them, untrained as he was in genuine combat against multiple opponents, he was content enough with the life he had lived, and yet as he felt the final vestiges of life fading, he wished he could have had one more truly great bout with the man who had bested him not three days ago.

His body was simply wrapped in a burlap sack and tossed away into the sea, as there was hardly much concern about a vagrant like him. His sword was nearly thrown away with him, but out of respect for the craftsmanship of the blade, and for whoever it was that might have forged such a thing, they instead simply took it to a plain, unremarkable hill in the nearby countryside, and plunged the thing into the ground. The sheathe was nearly taken as a trophy, but such a thing would have been of questionable honor, and so it was left with the sword. Such was the end of Otonashi Masaru, a man who nearly disappeared entirely into history.

Of course, with death comes the loss of one’s memory, or at least the breaking of the timeline. Fuuen's first memory after death is simply of himself standing atop a hill, bathed in moonlight and entirely alone. He finds this peculiar, as he is able to rather vividly remember the details of the place, as if he were standing there now. The wind blew gently, but with a surprising bite from the frosty air, and rocked a single tree that only barely blocked out some of the moon's rays. Leaves fell around him, slowly and not in especially great number, and in the distance a few animals called out. It was a peaceful scene, and he very nearly wondered if any human had been here in a great many years. It was only with the presence of a blade, jabbed unceremoniously into the ground alongside this tree, with a scabbard hanging from a single branch, that gave any indication as to the presence of men. Taking this blade, he inspected it carefully, and upon finding the kanji 幽太刀 upon its hilt, found it charming in a way, and took sword and sheathe as his to keep.

For some time during his travels, Fuuen did the closest he had ever come to settling down. It was during this time that he was challenged to a great many duels by a great many warriors, simple friendly bouts which he always allowed with a smile. He had taken up residence in a nearby temple, doing little but practicing with his blade, and rumors began to spread of a mysterious swordsman who guarded the temple. Such a thing was rather inaccurate, but rumors are not known for their perfect trustworthiness. Countless swordsmen who wished to prove their worth ventured off to the abandoned place, either for glory or simply to show that they were skilled, but all of them grossly underestimated their opponent. He was a spirit who had nothing to do but practice, and no interest except for that practice. Unbound by physical constraints and the mortal coil, Fuuen's swordplay simply continued to develop. If he found himself at a roadblock, then he simply practiced until it was overcome. No thought was put toward the actual nature of these challenges he faced, and not once did he consider that the stops he was treating as simple inconveniences were monumental challenges that would have been considered the peak of a normal swordsman's capabilities.

Of course, such peace did not last forever, and even for a hermit such as Fuuen, World War 3 made its impact. It was but a single duel, with a young invader who opted to attack the temple Fuuen called home. It was short, decisive, and without mercy, a far cry from the usual friendly bouts that he had provided his old challengers. This invader had been different, not simply wishing to test his skill, but seeking to destroy, and forcing Fuuen to dirty his pristine techniques with violence. It was not something he particularly relished.

It was not long afterward that he left the temple he once called home, partially because he simply received far less challengers after the war, but in the end it was simply that the memory of having killed even one other person haunted him, even when he could not remember it. It had been a pleasure to provide those who wished to challenge him a worthy fight, but if he was to continue doing so, testing those who wished to be tested, he would need to move on from that singular place.

For quite some time afterward, little else of note happened in Fuuen's life, and his memory, or lack thereof, hid nothing particularly damning from him. But in recent years that came to be less true. He made friends, grew all the more skilled, and through this he was forced to adapt. His potential to grow and develop slowly began to outpace his lack of memory, and eventually, in one singular moment which he would almost call plain in its lack of bombast, Fuuen suddenly realized that he remembered it all. Life and death, mundane and unforgettable. It was as if he had simply taken a step and become a different person--

Yet, even as he realized his very appearance had returned to what it once had been, he did not feel as though he was once again Masaru. He was still Fuuen.


○ Yuudachi: The Yuudachi (幽太刀, literally “ghost sword”) is Fuuen's personal blade, which he carries strapped to his back at all times. It is a masterfully crafted sword, though the name of its smith has been lost to the ages, and even the kanji which denote the swords name have begun to fade over the centuries. The sword is a total of 6' in length, taken in its entirety, and 4 and a half of those feet comprise its blade. While normally such a sword would be imbalanced to a nearly comedic degree, its hilt has been crafted so as to provide suitable weight to counterbalance the otherwise unwieldy weapon. Thanks to this design, while the sword is by no means easy to use for anyone who is unfamiliar with it, Fuuen himself is capable of using it with all of the precision and finesse of any other sword. While at one time the blade was a pristine silver, the memories of its usage as a weapon of merciless killing have stained the blade itself, and it is now a bold and undeniable shade of red that Fuuen himself does not much care for.


○ Limitless Potential: Due to the nature of his life, or perhaps the nature of his death, Fuuen's potential for swordplay is quite literally without end. If there is some difficulty in training, or concept he cannot grasp, then through pure trial and error, countless attempts to achieve perfection, Fuuen will eventually understand it, no matter how difficult. It may take a great deal of time, but so long as he applies himself to his training, Fuuen can overcome any obstacle and continue to pursue the impossible ideal of genuinely perfect swordsmanship.

○ Passive Spiritual Control: As Fuuen has no training in spiritual abilities of any kind, he cannot actively engage in any sort of spiritual attack. However, this is only true if made under the assumption that he is making said attack with the intent of spiritual application, something which he would never do as a pursuant solely of swordsmanship. What truly brings Fuuen's swordsmanship to a frightening level is that, through nothing more than his nature as a Plus, and his own sheer skill and talent, spiritual energy in his vicinity will bend to the will of his blade and bring power which would be otherwise impossible to his techniques. What this means, simply put, is that Fuuen exudes no spiritual power of his own, and has within him only the barest amount necessary to exist as a Plus spirit in the first place. However, he is still entirely capable of performing astounding spiritual feats through his Fugaku Sanjūrokkei.

○ Fugaku Sanjūrokkei (36 Views of Mount Fuji): This is Fuuen's personal sword style, honed and developed over the centuries to be as efficient and as perfect in form as possible. It is a style which is not meant for combat, but this does not mean it is ineffective if used in such a way. A sword is a sword, after all, and as much as Fuuen dislikes applying his knowledge to something as base as killing, he is capable of doing so if he must. The style is named after a series of paintings by the ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai, and each of its techniques shares the name of a painting from that set. This naming convention comes from Fuuen's fundamental approach to swordplay; that there are many approaches and considerations one might make, and that while all techniques must rely on the same basic core of a sword against a foe, there is no reason one cannot be creative with positioning, sword direction, and even the battlefield itself. While any sword form has an exceptional array of techniques and forms, both simple and advanced, the 36 Views are those 36 techniques which elevate Fuuen's craft beyond mere swordplay, and into a genuine art. Those of the 36 Views which are currently not listed here do still exist, and will be added to the list as they appear in threads.
» 36 Views:

• 1. Kanagawa oki nami-ura: The first by merit of its worth, and by merit of Fuuen's pride regarding it, Kanagawa oki nami-ura is a technique which would be flatly impossible using a single blade. By focusing his mind on the infinite possible paths of a sword, Fuuen is able to manifest each and every one of these possibilities within a single slash, overwhelming the foe in countless strikes in one moment. This ability alone would be enough for many swordsmen to consider the peak, but Fuuen still believes he can do better, as the weaknesses of this technique are simply too much for him to be content with it in its current form. First and foremost, anyone who is well versed in the sword (a Master or higher in Martial Skill) is able to note the otherwise imperceptible moment of pause that marks Fuuen's focus becoming centered, and can take advantage of this to catch him before the strike is able to be made. Beyond this, there is the simple matter that each of these strikes, other than that of the sword in his hand, is made of spiritual energy, and so those with heightened defenses against those sorts of attacks, or who can absorb such energy at a high level, will have little trouble with the overwhelming number of otherwise relatively weak blows.
  
• 27. Bushū Tamagawa: Functioning similarly to the Kanagawa oki nami-ura, Bushū Tamagawa is comprised of a quick slash from above, typically aimed at the head or shoulders of the opponent, though any part of the body is perfectly targetable. Upon this slash's completion, however, four afterimages of the sword follow after it, striking every bit as powerfully as the initial blow and deepening the wounds inflicted. This attack is intended as a simple all-purpose strike, able to be applied offensively or defensively depending on the situation, and is one of Fuuen's most frequently used maneuvers.

○ Urafuji (裏富士, lit. "Reverse Side of Mt. Fuji"): These techniques are those which Fuuen designed after his death, rather than those he first created while alive as Otonashi Masaru. While there is nothing inherently different about them when compared to the techniques of the original Fugaku Sanjuurokkei, he categorizes them differently on account of the personal distinction.

• 6. Shoujin Tozan (諸人登山, lit. "Many People Climbing the Mountain"): A relatively simple technique, at least in Fuuen's view, it is actually remarkably complicated, and almost assuredly would not be possible were it not for Fuuen's unique spiritual status and sheer martial prowess. By cutting through the air with his sword, Fuuen can create a temporary gate between the realms. Even with his skill, however, this is not an easy technique to perform, nor is it one that is by any means perfect. It takes a full post of focus simply to create this gate, and once it is created, it will only stay open for one post, closing immediately after Fuuen walks through (assuming he even does). It is not especially large, only allowing for a typical person to comfortably walk through, and anything too large to be moved through two-meter opening will simply be unable to move through it.

General Skills

• Durability: Adept
  
• General Speed: Advanced
  
• Strength: Adept
  
• Martial Skill: Elite
  

Shinigami Skills

• Hoho: Adept
  
• Kido: Untrained
  
• Zanjutsu: Untrained
  
• Hakuda: Untrained
  

Will Skills

• Willpower/Determination: Adept
  
• Mental Deduction: Advanced
  
• Focus: Advanced
  

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Winter Burst 2022 Claim
-Durability from Beginner to Adept (10 Points)
-General Speed from Adept to Advanced (25 Points)
-Focus from Adept to Advanced (25 Points)
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Shoujin Tozan Upgrade
-Added the Urafuji designation for techniques
-Added 6. Shoujin Tozan under the Urafuji techniques
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Spring Burst 2022
-Hoho from Untrained to Beginner
-Moved from Plus to Shinigami
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New Year Burst 2023
-Tier from 5-3 to 5-1
-Hoho from Beginner to Adept
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