[Spirit Class 4 | Hazard D] Kaoru Nagumo [OTY]

« Name: Kaoru Nagumo
« Kanji: 南雲 蘭均児 霞織
« Aliases:

• Miburō (眯霧狼; Wolf of the Blinding Fog)
  
• Haruna Kaneshige (金重 開多 Kaneshige Haruna)
  

« Age: 500s
« Birthday: January 6.
« Gender: Female.
« Race: Shinigami.

« Affiliation: Herself/Erika

« Marital Status: Single.
« Nationality: Japanese.
« Affirmation: All is Joy; Joy is Life
« Sexuality: Unclear.

« Likes: Campfires, dogs, medium-rare steak
« Dislikes: The cold, cats, people who conflate "dark" and/or "edgy" with "tragic"


« Height: 5'1".
« BWH: 85/60/80
« Hair Colour: Blonde.
« Eye Colour: Gold.*
« Notable Physical Traits:

• Bite scar on left wrist
  
• Eye color vibrancy varies significantly with mood.
  
• A distinct lack of an ass.
  

Kaoru has forced herself to enjoy life. Tragedy and disappointment wrote her tale into something that should have been self-ended long ago. The hollow smile she greets each day with is not brave, nor is it sad. It just is there. She abides by one conviction—when I reunite with my sister, she will only know good stories of my life. Kaoru finds new things and people exciting and fascinating. Not because they actually are, but because she wills them to not be boring. If someone is a stick in the mud, then she finds way to enjoy time with a bore!

That ever-present grin only evaporates when she's frustrated. And if you ask anyone, her smile is that of a dangerous beast—something ready to swallow all in its path. Even covered in blood and standing in a field of gore, Kaoru keeps that smile. Perhaps that's why her smile is so off-putting. It never is a warm or welcoming smile. It's like the gaping maw of an alligator.

Her happiness and smile are not facades. Instead, Kaoru's pleasures simply have no bounds. She doesn't care for others' happiness. That isn't to say that her smile grows wider when she's stealing candy from a child or pushing a grandmother over. She just doesn't let their happiness get in the way of hers. She can maim and murder with the only remorse being how much she may have to clean. She doesn't get a joy out of combat either—unlike others of her temperament. She views direct combat as a hassle and something she'd rather avoid.

Kaoru loves her sister. She may not remember her sister's name or face, but she remembers a good bit about her sister otherwise! She remembers that her sister was the one who supported her through the good times and bad when they were young. She knows her sister was strong and totally cool. She also knows that her sister would want to be with her again, as they were taken from one another at different times. All of that culminates in a skewed perception of her sister and an unhealthy, over-driven desire to reunite.

Kaoru, truly, seems selfless and caring, but is perhaps one of the most selfish and uncaring people around. She wants to enjoy her own life so much, she'll do whatever it takes (though there are some things she just has no interest in doing, such as kicking innocent puppies and the like) to have her life be fun, interesting, and full of excitement. It's because of this that she's hired by noble-hearted heroes and ne'er-do-wells alike as a hitman, muscle (no one expects her to be brutal), etc. to do whatever truly dirty work they don't want to.



Kaoru doesn't clearly remember much about her childhood or her time alive. Instead, a lot of faces are blurs and voices are heavily distorted. Names are also either hit or miss. She knows her sister's name was about as long as her own and that she was not raised by her father, but by her mother and grandfather. Kaoru believes that she blocked most of these memories out when she experienced the lack of family. Her coping mechanism was to refuse the reality where she had experienced this kind of happiness.

Kaoru's life alive was not as strife-filled as her sister's. She had no interest in becoming a warrior like her grandfather. She trained with the naginata and other, more "feminine" weapons. That was only to defend herself if it came down to that. Otherwise, she wanted to study. She was more of a scholar than a fighter. She read and wrote her own philosophical treatises. None ever were published or distributed in any wide manner. When fire consumed her and her family's home, many of her unread and unfinished works were lost. Kaoru was mostly solitary, wanting quiet and a distraction-free environment. And yet, a lot of her works were on how much family and the love they bring was indispensable to a healthy life.

Kaoru died in a roaring fire—to a falling beam rather than flames. It was a quick death. She never learned the circumstances of why, but that became secondary. The first thing Kaoru remembers clearly is the brightness of the Soul Society. It had been threatening rain for days before she died, so the sudden brightness almost hurt her eyes. For months after arriving in the Soul Society, Kaoru tried to search for Erika. She thought maybe her sister suffered the same fate. It wasn't a year before she came to the conclusion that Erika wasn't dead yet. That's the only reason they hadn't reunited in her mind. Kaoru waited patiently near where she came into the Soul Society for decades. After nearly a hundred years, she started to venture out. Erika certainly had died by then.

Kaoru withdrew into herself, wasting away to a pale, thin figure that bordered on emaciated. Dark bags encircled her eyes and her clothes were soon nothing but tattered rags. She continued to search for Erika because her diligent sister deserved to have a welcoming smile to greet her into the afterlife. It became harder and harder to keep the smile up. People took pity upon her. A few tried to bring her into their family. She declined every offer because there was only one family that mattered to her: her sister.

As the years continued to pass, Kaoru started to hate herself. It had been nearly a century and a half since she joined the afterlife and still no sign of Erika. She had failed her sister. She forced the smile now. Rarely was it with any true emotion. And even full of despair and disappointment, Kaoru continued to search. Her searches led her far into the Rukongai. She met a hermit who gave her a piece of advice, "If a life is spent only in search of someone, what tales will be told when they reunite?" It was a much-needed wake-up call for Kaoru. She wasn't giving up her search. She'd never do that. But Erika would never want her to give up her second chance at life just to search for her, right? Kaoru decided then and there to enjoy life—at all costs.

There was one thing that did not change about Kaoru: she still felt unworthy of being family to anyone else. She didn't want Erika to think she'd been replaced. In an effort to both gain access to resources to search for Erika and to have exciting tales to tell when they reunited, Kaoru enrolled in Shinō Academy. After two near-expulsions for going too far during training, she graduated with exceptionally high marks in Hakuda. With some additional coursework completed, Kaoru was poached by the Onmitsukidō. She was first assigned to the Detention Unit. Even with the leeway the organization was given, she was repeatedly reprimanded for how much force she used in restraining and otherwise incapacitating prisoners. She was soon transferred to the Patrol Corps. The problem continued.

And so she was transferred to the Executive Militia. She truly shined within the assassins of the Onmitsukidō. It was within there she earned her nickname of Miburō. She was regarded as a skilled hunter who would sniff out her prey and hold them down until they could be brought into custody or "dealt with." Even still, she was deemed a problem for the same reasons. If it weren't for her disappearing, she likely would have been spirited away to the Nest of Maggots.

It was a mission to the World of the Living. She doesn't remember the who of the mission, but it didn't end well. Specifically, it was the return that was a disaster. The team was ambushed in the Dangai by something... different. Kaoru still doesn't know what it was—as it didn't quite feel like anything she had fought before. In the end, Kaoru was the only survivor. The being disappeared into the Dangai after being severely wounded. Seeing an opportunity, Kaoru disappeared through the other end of the opening into the World of the Living. With the beast "defeated" and not enough body parts to account for most of the team, "Haruna Kaneshige" was reported as KIA during the operation.

Kaoru traveled the World of the Living in search of Erika's spirit. She had to be there! But, of course, she wasn't. Kaoru spent nearly two decades searching before giving up. On the verge of starvation, she returned to Japan. She would redouble her efforts there. In Japan, she would meet Kisuke Urahara—someone she recognized from her days in the Onmitsukidō. He at least seemed to not recognize her, and she was able to get some minor assistance from him in the form of the occasional foodstuff and gigai. She paid the sketchy shopkeeper by dealing with Hollows that came too close. She gave him a small bit of advice: "You know, you should probably get a helper or two for this." It would have been an overt "you should hire me" message if she hadn't disappeared soon after.

By sheer luck, Kaoru located the location of the house she and Erika had grown up in. It was long-gone, but certain trees and the roll of hills still looked the same. Kaoru decided then and there to bunker down at that spot. If she was drawn there, Erika should be too, right? During this time, she would attempt to communicate with her Zanpakutō in earnest for the first time since the incident in the Dangai. Whatever it was she was communicating with, it was not her Zanpakutō spirit. It spoke in an unintelligible language that almost sounded like high-pitched machinery.

The peace of being able to meditate and wait for Erika was not for long either. The ever-devastating Winter War brought Hollow activity in the area to a peak. While the Gotei was distracted with Sōsuke Aizen, a single, powerful Hollow managed to sneak into the World of the Living and became a menace to the countryside. The few Shinigami patrols either couldn't handle the Hollow or were unable to locate it when en masse. When it came for Kaoru, she had to fight it alone.

It was strong enough to deflect her Hakuda and her sealed Zanpakutō. Nearly dead, Kaoru pled "I have to see her again... I have to see Erika. I can't die like this!" And the high-pitched squealing became audible and intelligible—"You know my name. Call it, girl!"


The all-consuming blackness ate more than just the Hollow—it consumed the name she clung to. Until the third Hansūrui, she felt that it was just brain damage from the battle. The Hollow became nourishment for Reika and became the first of her Hansūrui. The voice explained that if she wished it to bite for her, she only need call.

After the Winter War, Kaoru tried to re-settle in the "haunted" countryside. Again, no peace lasted long and World War III further ruined her plans. The second Hansūrui came during a fight with a rogue Shinigami—a true horror of a man who only wanted to pillage and plunder and then run away. A wanted fugitive from the Gotei, it was a miracle he hadn't been imprisoned or killed yet. His Shikai was more than enough to overpower Kaoru's basic ability. She let the darkness eat more—as she didn't realize its cost. With a horrid scream and squelch, Kaoru lost and gained once more.

As demons and Hollows became more common, the empty countryside was prime pickings for wayward souls. She attempted to save many, but numbers were never on her side. The third Hansūrui came from a demon. Its armor was too strong to be harmed by normal methods, and so the darkness consumed a third time. When she no longer could remember her sister's face despite taking no damage to her head, Reika's voice explained that the cost to defeat those far stronger was something precious.

Kaoru trained her two combat-usage Hansūrui against demons, Arrancar, Hollows, and rogue Shinigami alike leading up to and during World War IV. Rumors of the second coming of the Miburō were whispered in the Gotei but few knew more about her beyond the nickname existing. She furthered her skill with Hakuda, Kidō, and Hohō all to find ways to fight without using Reika. Kaoru came out of World War IV with a strong connection with the bite-y being that was now her Zanpakutō and mastery of ways to fight without it.

With peace on the horizon, she has begun to search for her sister once more. This time, however, she only has her sister's voice to go on...



« Hakuda and Martial Skill: Kaoru was not someone who appeared compatible with Hakuda. She was a scholar, not a fighter. Because of her small size, Kaoru focused on Hakuda in order to do as much as possible with as little force as possible. Her Hakuda focuses on focusing her Reiryoku into singular areas, such as just within her index and ring finger on one hand and the knuckles of her other hand. Kaoru revels in teaching it because she can show others that as long as she stays close, even a petite thing like her and knock someone on their ass. Also see the below Garōmikkō-ryū section for further information on her specific Hakuda style.

«« Jigen Haō-ryū: (慈眼破王流; Merciful Eye of the Destruction King Style) This is Kaoru's main fighting style for hand-to-hand fighting. It is a style based around strikes that balance the least amount of pain with the most amount of damage. Combined with her Hakuda and Hohō skill, this results in a form of martial art that destroys critical areas of the body without the opponent noticing immediately. She has shattered kneecaps with the only pain being when the opponent collapsed onto asphalt. The style has been added to by using Kaoru's scarf (see Equipment below for further details). By using her scarf in specific as a weapon, she is able to strike and bind at the same time. She can open a wound and immediately tourniquet it within the same movement by using Jigen Haō-ryū.

« Hohō: Kaoru's skill with Hohō is as good as her skill with Hakuda, which makes her an excellent pursuer. Her particular speciality are Shunpo that don't act like normal Shunpo. She isn't the best at techniques such as Utsusemi, but rather steps that trick opponents up.

• Hanpo: (半歩; Half-step) Hanpo is performed exactly like a normal Shunpo, but as one lands from the very first step, they immediately use a second step to return to the initial location. This appears to be a small flicker to the untrained eye, and it's useful in making opponents believe a strike will hit.
  
• Butō: (無踏; Null Step) Butō is an advanced technique that, oddly enough, does not create movement. In fact, Butō is the technique that prevents movement. By focusing just enough force in opposition of an incoming force, the pracitioner doesn't move. It requires focus and knowledge of the incoming force. As such, it isn't the best kind of technique to use on the fly, but as a recoil buffer against the user's own techniques.
  
• Senka—Teibōken: (閃花 堤防拳; Flash Blossom Weir Fist)A less-permanent version of Senka. Instead of piercing the Saketsu and Hakusui with a Zanpakutō, Teibōken uses Hakuda-enhanced fists to deliver sharp blows to the areas. This results in disruption of the natural flow of Reiryoku without absolute destruction. This results in things such as interrupting Kidō casting, but it is not so drastic as to cause lasting effects.
  
• Hanki Senka: (反鬼 閃花; Reverse Demon Flash Blossom) Hanki Senka is an alteration to Senka. Hanki Senka follows up behind a failed (or failing) Senka. Effectively, if the user notices a Senka will miss, be blocked, or countered, they continue the motion until the very last moment before performing another Senka. This usually puts them in front of someone, putting them in more danger than before. In concept, it is a simple ability, but it is one that requires years of practice to successfully perform.
  
• Bōkematsuri: (紡花祭; Spinning Flower Festival) The ultimate form of Senka, at least according to Kaoru. The user performs multiple Senka in rapid succession. One strike is at the Saketsu, one is at the Hakusui, and two are at the wrists to disrupt the Reiatsu vents located there. Most of the time, this takes two total Senka to use.
  

« Zanjutsu: Due to only have a small understanding of the being known as Reika, Kaoru is currently prevented from going above Adept. This is also because it is difficult to pour large amounts of Reiryoku into Reika. As she does not like using the dangerous power of her Zanpakutō, Kaoru currently also does not train her Zanjutsu any further. Her overall skill in Zanjutsu mostly comes from her time spent fighting against other Shinigami while in the Onmitsukidō.

« Kidō: Kaoru specializes in Bakudō and Kaidō. She is fast to restrain the movements of her target. However, one spell in particular, Sekienton, has garnered her unique praise. She has developed a more powerful version of the spell known as Onbei'enryōba (see below). Kaoru doesn't have the specialized training or desire to be called a true Kidō master, but what she does like is how many different ways there are to disorient and restrain. In terms of Kaidō, Kaoru is especially skilled at emergency first aid. It'll hurt. She never applies the numbing effect that many Kaidō practioners use.
«« Onbei'enryōba: (遠吠煙猟場; Howling Smoke Hunting Ground) A majorly-enhanced version of Sekienton that starts by changing the color of the smoke to a light grey. Although it still qualifies as a Bakudō-type, it is primarily an offensive enhancement. Onbei'enryōba increases the effective range of the smoke to a 100-yard diameter sphere with an additional 100 yards per level of Kidō above Adept. The smoke swirls and moves on its own within the area of effect. The caster can see through the smoke, though not clearly. It is roughly at about 60% opacity for them.

«« Kangenken: (鑑幻拳; Mirrored Illusory Fists) There isn't quite a Kidō numbering equivalent to this. Kangenken works by projecting fist-shaped blasts of Reiryoku in the direction the caster directs. These fists make contact then dissipate. The fists can perform simple Hakuda techniques such as Tesshō—and that is, by far, the most-used technique. In essence, this is more akin to an inversion of Shunkō—infusing Kidō with Hakuda rather than the other way around. It is something she would like to develop further, but has not due to not quite being good enough with Kidō or Hakuda.

« Shunkō: Kaoru had the fundamentals down for unlocking Shunkō back during her time in the Onmitsukidō, but she unlocked it due to her training in order to not have to use Reika. Kaoru's Shunkō has the element of fire. Kaoru's base Shunkō is fairly basic and does not confer anything special to the technique. Instead, Kaoru has specialized in creating three different "stages" of her Shunkō. Each of these stages provides her with a different specialization. No matter the form, the fire from her Shunkō automatically cauterizes any wound after one post.
«« Shūkyū Reppa: (祝融烈破; Fire God's Eruption) Shūkyū Reppa is where she expels most of the energy outward in constant output. Kaoru wraps her arms and legs with wild flames. Punches, kicks, etc. all expel fire outward. It's definitely the most basic of her three stages.

«« Shūkyū Rei'i: (祝融礼衣; Fire God's Ceremonial Garb) Shūkyū Rei'i is the form that she is most comfortable in. She condenses the flame around her body to increase her defense by 80%.
««« Yōen Gisei: (陽炎擬製; Heat Haze Imitation) Due to the amount of heat given off by Kaoru's Shunkō, she generates semi-solid afterimages that follow close behind. They fade rather rapidly.
««« Ikitenka: (気点火; Ignition Tracing) Ikitenka uses the fire element from Kaoru's Shunkō and expands it outward. She focuses the heat around one or two fingertips and draws a line in the air. There is a slight glow left over—like what happens when you move a sparkler around at high speeds. Shortly after she traces the line, it combusts into flame and explodes outward.

«« Shōshin Chūkei: (焼身中啓; Fan of Self-Immolation) Shōshin Chūkei is something of a mixture of Shūkyū Rei'i and Shūkyū Reppa. It takes the layering of fire from Rei'i and lowers it overall so that she can easily expel energy for a variety of effects. For example, Kaoru could expel the fire from beneath her at the timing of a jump to increase the distance she jumps. Her most common usage is upping the force of her attacks beyond what her muscles are capable of. By sacrificing the speed of her strikes to only two per posts with this method, Kaoru is capable of upping the strength of her strikes by 250%. Effectively, Kaoru uses the fire she could have used for direct burning to turn into a human pile-driver. Continuous usage results in her bones breaking as they are not used to this level of attack.

«« Hakka Haizai: (発火配剤; Ignition Compounding) Not Yet Achieved. Placeholder for future development.

« Willpower and Focus: Kaoru is nothing if not persistent. She's a bloodhound, and a damn good one at that. She's the type to overcome adversity by briefly taking a step back and choosing another path forward. She's stared down blades and fists larger than her and took a minor hit to get in closer. She can dislocate and re-locate her thumb or shoulders without flinching. Kaoru will tear her body apart in order to get her goal, and she's nearly permenantly harmed herself in order to do it.

« Deduction: Kaoru is not the sharpest crayon in the shed. She's a mediocre philosopher at best, and she doesn't have much insight to add to anything that hasn't already been repeated thousands of times. Her prose, however, is pretty good. It's at least better than this author can create, so use your imagination.

« Former Onmitsukidō: Unlike most Shinigami who specialize in the fight against Hollowkind, Kaoru was trained in how to defeat her own kind. She's an excellent hand-to-hand fighter from her days as a prison guard. She's a tenacious hunter from her days as a spy. And then those skills were further enhanced by her time as an outright assassin. The Onmitsukidō has given her a variety of skills and a smattering of knowledge on many things, mostly to do with how to pursue, detain, and incapacitate Shinigami and Pluses.

« Enhanced Sense of Smell: Kaoru has an enhanced sense of smell to the point that it is almost akin to Reikaku in terms of sensing what race someone is. The stronger the Reiatsu, the stronger the "smell" she detects. She is also capable of locating and tracking blood as well as a trained bloodhound.

« Twin Reiatsu Signature: Kaoru's Reiatsu comes in two forms, neither of which is entirely natural. She can switch between the two, as she believes the second form to be natural. The first is indistinct. It's entirely possible to determine how strong she is via her Reiatsu as per normal. What she is, however, is indistinct. She doesn't quite ping as any one race in particular. Her second Reiatsu signature is identical to that of her twin sister, save for in strength.



Garōmikkō-ryū (餓狼密行流; Hungry Wolf Prowling Style) is Kaoru's Hakuda style that encompasses the three stances she fights with. This style is a big part of why she has her moniker of Miburō.

Stance One—Tsume (爪; Claw): Tsume focuses one's reiryoku into the hands and arms they are the focus. Although possible, Kaoru doesn't extend this to her upper arms and keeps it focused instead on her forearms and hands only. In fact, Kaoru's focus is primarily around her fingertips and it slowly goes further down the limb until it ends at her elbows. This makes her fingers more akin to claws.

Hiken—Enkyōken (秘拳—炎経拳; Secret Fist—Flame Sutra Fist): The current ultimate technique of Tsume, this further concentrates Kaoru's reiryoku into—and onto—one hand. Due to her flame affinity, this gets close to superheating her hand. The result is a high-temperature strike that leaves some Reiryoku on the target after the strike hits. It is not flame, but simply "heat." If used while in her Shunkō, this evolves into Sekiha Enkyōken (析葉炎経拳; Leaf-Splitting Flame Sutra Fist). This works by increasing the temperature by roughly 75%—almost doubling the temperature.

Stance Two—Ashi (足; Paw): Ashi is a utility stance that borders on the realm of Hohō. Ashi focuses Reiryoku into the legs and feet. Strikes with Ashi are not infused heavily with Reiryoku like Tsume, but they are more about expelling Reiryoku. The two "forms" Kaoru uses Ashi with are Bursts or Streams. Bursts are the closest thing to Hohō within Garōmikkō-ryū. It is expelling Reiryoku behind the strike like a rocket's exhaust. This increases the raw power of the strike. Streams push Reiryoku in front of the strike to decrease resistance to the strike itself. In essence, the Reiryoku makes a slip stream that Kaoru's leg or foot follows. Kaoru theorizes that she can use the two "forms" together in conjunction around her entire body to increase her speed overall, but she hasn't trained that fully.

Hiken—Fū'un Reppa (秘拳—風雲烈火; Secret Fist—Inferno of Winds and Clouds): Fū'un Reppa is the ultimate technique of Ashi. Kaoru focuses Reiryoku into one leg and performs both a Burst and Stream in a continuous release. This results in a high-speed spin. With Kaoru's flame-attribute, this ends up forming what is effectively a fire sawblade. If used while in her Shunkō, this evolves into Kaō Den'ei-dan (火王電影弾; Fire King Shadow Bullet). This expansion of flame surrounds Kaoru in her entirety in a sphere. This sphere is propelled by the spinning motion, but can be propelled forward by a strong burst of Reiryoku from another source. This is not so much a flaming boulder as it is a grindstone—with flame instead of friction doing most of the work.

Stance Three—Kiba (牙; Fang): Kiba is the most "inhuman" of the three stances. Reiryoku is focused in the head, elbows, knees, hands, and feet. This stance encourages high-risk styles of combat. It abandons defense for an offense specialization. Kiba, in some ways, relies on being hit. By concentrating Reiryoku in specific areas, Kaoru is able to strike in ways that aren't as expected. For example, if she is in a chokehold, the enhanced Reiryoku presence in her head would allow for stronger head-butts. Her most famous use is enhancing her bite strength to rip out throats almost to the point of decapitation.




« Spirit: Reika's spirit, should it appear, is a black sun with red-orange flames wreathing it. A wide, toothy grin with too many teeth takes up most of its shape. A ring of eyes orbit like a macabre halo.

« Inner World: There is no inner world for Reika.
« Sealed Appearance: Reika's sealed form is a katana-sized blade with an odachi-sized handle. Its original size was an odachi, but the transformation into Reika has it in an odd middle-ground. The scabbard is decorated with stickers that are places Kaoru has been since WWIII.

Reika (霊華; Brilliant Soul) is both the name of the Zanpakutō and its abilities.


The true Reika—this is the ability of destruction that eats all. When releasing, Reika screams. It is an eerie, ear-piercing scream. When Reika is released with this command, Reika's blade becomes the purest black as it bites and consumes the light that hits it—even Oshō would be impressed with the richness of the black produced. Surrounding it is its exact opposite, the whitest white. Thankfully thin enough to not cause blindness, this is the cost of not being able to swallow—it merely falls out. The outline drips and fades like a brush overflowing with ink.

Reika's ability is to consume—and since it cannot swallow, to regurgitate. Reika consumes reiryoku in order to both empower itself and Kaoru. What the blade touches begins to be absorbed into the blackness as if being eaten by tens of thousands of tiny mouths. That what is eaten becomes nourishment for Reika. What is eaten by Reika does not return unless the intervention is on par with divine (ie. Soul King), transcendent (Master+), or means that interfere with cause and effect. Normal means of healing and regrowth will not restore what is taken.

It will then use the strength and "taste" of the reiryoku to create a Hansūrui (犯噏藟; Compressed Creeping Sin)—a single ability that is comparable to a Shikai (without the passive boosts). This is the regurgitation part of Reika. What it splits back up is not as strong or within the same form as it was when it was chewed, but what comes out still provides some benefit.

Cost and Limitations: Reika's toll is heavy. As mentioned, what the teeth chew do not return. The teeth do not just eat what is physical. When she uses Wameku, Reika, the cost of release is taken at the time of re-sealing. This cost is her memory. Bits and pieces of her memory are eaten away, never to return. For example, she has forgotten her sister's face due to one release. Although she may recognize her sister from other sources (such as voice, presence, etc.), she couldn't describe her. If one were to look at her memories like a photograph, Erika's face would appear as a chewed-through hole.

The current things lost by Kaoru to use Reika are:


Usage of a Hansūrui does not impose the cost of usage of Reika—nor does it have the stipulation of preventing regeneration (things eaten by a Hansūrui are able to regenerate as per normal). In fact, that is the benefit of the Hansūrui. Although the initial cost is high, the variety of the abilities allow for the potential of an endlessly-evolving Zanpakutō. So long as it is fed, it will grow. However, the quality of what it consumes determines how much it needs to consume to produce a Hansūrui. It cannot consume multiple beings to create a Hansūrui. Each one is keyed to a specific reiryoku signature that even true clones can not assist in creating.

• Spirit Class 1: Only part of a limb, as little as a handful of fingers or a foot, is required.
  
• Spirit Classes 2-3: Most, but not all, of a limb, such as a forearm, is required.
  
• Spirit Class 4: An entire limb, such as a leg, is required.
  
• Spirit Classes 5-6: The entire body is required.
  
• Spirit Classes 7-9: There is not enough Reiryoku to provide requisite nourishment.
  

Hansūrui: The below listed are the Hansūrui she has gained through usage of Reika.
This the most basic form of Reika. It is effectively a significantly weaker version of Wameku, Reika. Hundreds of mouths appear along the blade much like when a Saketsu undergoes Encroachment. These mouths chew through what comes into contact with the blade. If it can't be chewed through, they bite down and hold in place. If what it consumes is made of Reishi, Kaoru can use the Reishi that the blade "swallows" to create simple constructs (such as pillars, spheres, needles, etc) of reishi by allowing the mouths to regurgitate the reishi.

Surikudaku, Reika is not really a combat ability. The blade splits apart like the jaws of an alligator gar before biting down. It simply cuts along the blade's "jawspan" as it bites down on a surface. This would be helpful for logging or cutting into a wall, but the slow speed of the bite make it ill-suited for combat. When it does not come into contact with another surface, it bites through the fabric creating the realm she is on, forming an opening into the Garganta. It is very similar to a Hollow's Kūmon. Unlike normal ways of opening into the Garganta, this method takes significantly longer to close. Openings created with Surikudaku, Reika take up to 24 hours to fully close.

Hikisaku, Reika is the current strongest of her Hansūrui. The blade melts away from the hilt and becomes ink-black liquid armor. Although it may not affect her durability much (if at all), the true ability of Hikisaku, Reika is that it can spawn dozens of mouths of various sizes across the blackness. This armor of teeth bites and chews much like Kaburitsuku, Reika but it lacks constructive capabilities. This armor lasts up to seven posts currently.



In theory, a higher state of release for Reika is possible. However, this is merely conjecture and speculation on a far-off point not even visible as a dot on this timeline. This is merely a placeholder for a cool name—or a warning perhaps. It is not a goal she currently wants to contemplate, let alone achieve.


« Prototype Ginjōhan Mark II: The main piece of equipment Kaoru has is a length of cloth-like iron. This is very similar to a normal Ginjōhan except that it weighs a fraction of the weight. This item dates back to her Onmitsukidō days. The idea behind it was to have a lighter version of a Ginjōhan that didn't compromise the integrity of the item as a form of item. Although this worked, the cost to produce the cloth was astronomical in comparison to normal Ginjōhan. The design for it sits long-forgotten in a patent library, and all production has since ceased. Kaoru and the other testers of the prototype were allowed to keep their samples as it would be a waste to not use what was already in production. Kaoru's sample is currently fashioned into and worn like a scarf. Although it was once twice its current length, damage over time has whittled away.


General Skills
« Durability: Adept
« Speed: Adept
« Strength: Adept
« Martial Skill: Advanced

Will Skills
« Willpower: Elite
« Deduction: Beginner
« Focus: Advanced

Shinigami Skills
« Hoho: Elite
« Kidō: Advanced
« Zanjutsu: Adept
« Hakuda: Elite