Kei Makabe [Approved; 1-3]

Name: Kei Makabe
Nicknames: (Optional)
Appearance Age: 18-20
True Age: 397 (Birthday is April 2)
Gender: Female
Height: 5'4
Weight: 140 lbs
Appearance:



Personality:
Kei is distant. That's a weird way to start off a personality, as people normally would go "Wow, Kei is awesome, and I want to get close to her!" Well, you can't. Kei gets close to you, not the other way around. You try to force yourself into her life, she will burn you until your ashes have ashes. She isn't shy. She just doesn't trust anyone immediately. She automatically thinks that someone is not being honest unless they prove themselves otherwise. She'll be cold around you until she's comfortable. She's observing, seeing what that person is like. Or rather, to see if they're trustworthy to warm up to. As soon as she decides that person is trustworthy, it's almost like another person took over. She's a lot more easy-going and would even make a joke or two with them. It only continues from there.

Because she's so wary of other people, Kei's view on people on general is a little more twisted. She's the type that feels it's guilty until proven innocent and not the other way around. She won't accept handouts from strangers. She has to cook her own meals unless she trusts you. And most importantly, Kei never leaves the barracks alone at night. As an officer, she can always have someone else accompany her by ordering them—but most people in her division understand that there's something a little off about her so they'll go without being ordered to. In battle, Kei just wants to get it over with. She'll end combat quickly in just about every situation. Kei wants no one to suffer like she did, so she always aims to kill.

Kei does not think too highly of herself. She has dark secrets like anyone; but that actually doesn't fuel too much into Kei's dislike of herself. Well, actually, it does to a point. Certain things that happened to her don't, but things she did do. She doesn't trust in her ability to lead, and doesn't feel 'right' accepting a Vice-Captain or higher seat. She has a hard time talking to others (to the point where she stutters so bad she can't even start or finish a sentence), which feeds into that.

Character Background:
Most of Kei's early history no one knows. Well, two people know, but you know the old adage—two can keep a secret if one is dead. Kei was born in the Zaraki district of the Rukongai. She had a hard-beat life, as with anyone in the Zaraki district. The difference is that it's where the strongest survive... and well, it is hard to argue how Kei survived. She wasn't even close to being the strongest, and she only survived because of her foster father, Bunta Makabe.

Bunta was a rough man with one arm. He scared away any man, woman, or beast who tried to harm his little girl. Kei idolized the old man. He was strong and did what he could to protect her. She always said as a child 'I'm gonna grow up and marry you!' To which he only laughed. Marriage wasn't really common in this part of the Zaraki district... Women didn't have long lifespans.

(This section has been redacted. It exists in a written format, but it will not be provided unless Kei tells someone.)

(This following section has been modified to not release spoilers for the previous section)

Kei enrolled in the Shinigami Academy at the age of 117. It was odd, as she came in with an Asauchi already. It was taken from her for inspection, but it was noted that the previous user did not have much of an impact on it, so it would be fine. Her teachers and classmates noted her as odd, quiet, and distant. She was also a bit skittish and was known to jump if someone touched her. They said she wasn't fit to be a Shinigami if she was that skittish. That was, until, she was able to let out what appeared to be some pent up emotions. This was in a mixture of Hakuda and Zanjutsu. Whatever she struck, she struck to maim, not to kill.

The problem with her time in the academy was marked by her Kidō. She was never able to properly grasp it. That's what the students said at least. The teachers said she was able to grasp the concepts of Kidō rather easily. However, her body was not able to properly distribute the energy needed for a Kidō. She was able to learn some Kidō, but it was about 3/4 of what she normally should learn. However, what she wasn't able to learn was basically transferred to the strength of her already-known Kidō.

Upon graduating, Kei was placed in the 10th Division. There, things took an interesting turn. Kei's average core temperature rose five degrees with no adverse effects after the graduation ceremony. It was also said that Kei could be seen with small sparks flying off of her from time to time. In fact, part of her graduating class said Kei had a new fire in her eyes that frightened them.

That fire lasted many years. For fifteen years, people were afraid of this woman. Kei gave them reason to. Kei started to practice with her Zanpakutō. As she formed a bond with her Asauchi, but... Kei had a problem. This chick was a bitch. Or at least that's how she seemed at first. Her spirit was talking about how weak and pathetic Kei was. How helpless she truly was... and then the spirit asked "Do you want my power?" Kei answered, albeit crying, "Yes." And then she gave her a condition. She agreed to it; and that flame in her eyes grew even more.

But one mission... she was finally able to douse those flames. Although the mission was supposed to be easy, it ended up not being so. There were five Shinigami sent, and only one out-ranked Kei. On the mission, Shinigami started going down. Then, the Soul Society detected an unauthorized release of a Zanpakutō from Kei... and then the last Shinigami other than her (the one who was higher-ranking, in fact) died, then the Hollow. It raised suspicion when Kei came back covered in blood, an almost unnaturally calm look on her face.

Kei was questioned about it, and all she said was that the Hollow was much stronger than predicted. But absent in her wording was a direct stating that the Hollow killed any of the other Shinigami. This arose suspicion, and although she was cleared... rumors spread in the 10th Division that she was a murderer. But Kei was the epitome of someone who wasn't a murderer. She no longer jumped as hard when someone randomly touched her, nor was she always silent. She tried to fraternize with her division to no avail. Eventually, it was so bad that the Captain pulled her aside and asked her to transfer. He would not force it, but he strongly recommended it for her own safety. Kei agreed, but asked for a recommendation to go to the 5th. She needed help with her Kidō.

(The rest is not modified)

Kei was never a stellar member of the 5th. Power-wise, she fit better with the 10th. However, she needed the Kidō expertise of the 5th Division. They might be able to do something. But she was always practically being bullied for her lackluster skill. That was until she was finally able to off that her low-level spells were much higher level. The then-Captain noticed this. They started to examine Kei's flow, noticing that it was being blocked in some areas.

Upon further examination with the help of the 4th Division, it was determined that Kei had a mark which prevented energy from focusing in her. This gave her a boost to being durable against Kidō and Cero, but it was also screwing with her own flow. The way it was explained to her was she was a water hose with someone's thumb over the nozzle. A lot of the flow wasn't getting through, but what was getting through was a lot more concentrated and thus more powerful. It was an interesting predicament.

Although she was spending most of her time with Kidō, Kei also spent many hours on some days being by the side of a squadmate of hers. Solas Foiche had a habit of falling asleep in random places. It was due to a medical problem, but Kei didn't care what the cause was. Solas was defenseless, and Kei was not going to let anything happen to her. So Kei would sit down beside her or carry Solas to her bed. It was harder to do the latter, but she was not letting Solas just sit out in the rain or the hot summer sun.

[Solas & Kaminari; 150-50 years ago]

Kei soon learned she needed a bit more power. She wanted to protect herself even more. There was only one step further that she could do. That was Bankai. For nearly fifty years, she trained at least twice a week to get it. Her Zanpakutō spirit was too strong for most of those sessions. But eventually, she was able to defeat hier. She was able to master her Shikai and use it against her almost better than the spirit herself could. But there was one thing wrong. She still wouldn't give her the name of her Bankai. The spirit laughed at her attempts to threaten her.

Her last training session was a year ago. She beat her spirit quickly, but she still laughed. The spirit pointed to the world behind herself. "Do you not see? Have you not pieced it together? Do you not remember? Do you not remember these gates being wide open when we first met? No, no you do not obviously. The reason you haven't learned my name is because the one who shut off the fires inside was you yourself! You do not deserve to know my name until you hate once more!" And with that, she ejected her from her own inner world.

When Kei heard the cry that Kaminari was kidnapped, she flew into a panic and rushed in... but not before grabbing Kaminari's Zanpakutō first. She ran in late, but was able to catch up to the group. As they entered the lair of the Arrancar who would not leave there alive, Kei went down the final tunnel. There, she met a group of Hollow. It was there... she heard that Kaminari was 'dead.' Upon that instant, the gates inside creaked open.

She hated. She loathed. She wanted to rip apart everything in her path. In her ear, her Zanpakutō Spirit cackled. And then she whispered into Kei's ear. "Well, I guess it's time for you to use my true name." She smiled and faded away; and Kei released her Bankai for the first time. She had the problem of not knowing anything about it, save the name. Thankfully, the Bankai came with a few built-in abilities that she did not need to learn. The cave practically turned to ash and no Hollows survived in there. She made it to see Kaminari leave, unconscious, bloody, and being carried. She turned off her Bankai and ran, following them... The sudden release of her Bankai, however, forced her to be knocked out for a day after returning to the Soul Society.


Unreleased Abilities:
Kidō: Kei's worst skill due to the Mark of the Scorpion. She has a hard time manipulating the energy to get it correctly focused due to the Mark. However, her spells are thus far more potent and efficient once she's able to get that focus.

Zanjutsu: Kei's second-worst skill due to the unwieldy nature of her Zanpakutō. She can't use any real Zanjutsu technique with that sword, so she modifies it to fit the way her sword is shaped.

Hakuda: Her Hakuda is her second-best skill. She focuses on elbow strikes and sweeping kicks instead of the fists and striking kicks. This is because she's fighting in a way that if she had her knives they could still be used properly.

Hohō: Kei's best skill. In combination with her Hakuda, it makes her incredibly dangerous up close. She's said to have Captain-level Hohō to make up for her lack of Kidō skill.

Mark of the Scorpion: Kei has a mark on her stomach. Actually, no. It's a little lower than that. Right  in the middle of her groin is a crimson scorpion almost tattooed on. That symbol is a birthmark that prevented her from being cursed or affected by magical things. When she became a Shinigami, that same thing applies albeit watered down. Energy attacks do 1/4 damage to her, as the mark disturbs the energy itself and dissipates it. This also applies to Kei, which resulted in her Kidō being piss-poor. This also applies to Kaidō, as it takes more effort to heal her with that.

Other Weapons: Kei carries two folding daggers, both with an 8-inch-long blade.


Sealed Zanpakutō: Kei's Zanpakutō is not exactly a katana. It has a semi-curved blade that ends like a katana, but the handle is far too large for a katana and the blade far too short for a nodachi. It is incredibly unbalanced but provides decent cutting power.

Zanpakutō Spirit Appearance: Ryūjin Jakka is a body of ash and flame given a feminine form. It speaks in a raspy and mocking tone as it sears and ignites the ground it stands upon.

Other Weapons: As her normal Zanpakutō is unwieldy, Kei carries around two smaller knives on her waist.
Zanpakutō Release Phrase: "Reduce All Creation to Ash"


Shikai Name: Ryūjin Jakka (流刃若火, Flowing Blade-like Flame)
Shikai Appearance: Kei's Zanpakutō becomes slightly more wieldable. It is still unbalanced for the shape it is in. Although it may look like one as well, it is not a katana. There is an inscription on the blade, reading "爾天神之命以布斗麻邇爾ト相而詔之" which literally translates to "One should live according to the laws of the gods."

Shikai Abilities:  When released, the blade of Ryūjin Jakka is engulfed in fire. The aura of this weapon ignites everything and anything which Kei waves the sword at, and engulfs the surrounding landscape in a blazing firestorm.

Jōkaku Enjō (城郭炎上, Fortress Blaze): This technique creates an immense wall of flame, which surrounds the target and forms a huge contained sphere of flame in which to imprison enemies.

Taimatsu (松明, Torch): This technique allows Kei to create a great inferno with a simple wave of Ryūjin Jakka. The fire generated by the attack completely consumes whatever is caught within it, until nothing remains but ashes. The flames created by Ryūjin Jakka can be controlled, somewhat, by Kei to attack only the targets she chooses, and she has power over the intensity of the flames. There is much to be learned with Taimatsu, and she does not have as much control over the flames as she could.


Bankai Name: Zanka no Tachi (残火の太刀, Longsword of the Remnant Flame)

Bankai Appearance: In Bankai, Kei is not Kei. Kei's flesh and muscles burn away, although they still look like they're there. They still function as if they were there. But if you grabbed her arm, it would go through like mist until you reached bone. If her entire facade disappeared, Kei would be a skeleton with fire in her eyes and mouth. Although you can't see the fires unless the facade is gone, Kei's mouth is smoking and her eyes flicker. Her sword becomes a beautiful red blade with an elegant crossguard and hilt.


Bankai Abilities: Upon activation, any flames previously produced by Ryūjin Jakka are absorbed into the blade. Zanka no Tachi incorporates the full power of Kei's flames into the blade: the flames within the blade burn anything it cuts out of existence. Zanka no Tachi has the side-effect of depleting the moisture in an entire area around one mile in diameter, causing the air and the water to dry up. No flames are visible as it cuts. Struck out abilities are ones Kei does not yet know.

Zanka no Tachi, Higashi: Kyokujitsujin (残火の太刀 "東": 旭日刃, Longsword of the Remnant Flame, East: Rising Sun Edge): Automatically activated at release, this ability concentrates the intense flames of the sword along the edge of the blade. It neither burns nor erupts, but anything it touches is eradicated to nothingness. The level of heat produced by this technique is so high, it would not actually appear in the form of flames.

Zanka no Tachi, Nishi: Zanjitsu Gokui (残火の太刀 "西": 残日獄衣, Longsword of the Remnant Flame, West: Remnant Sun Prison Garb): Automatically activated at release, this ability is unseen by the eyes of anyone else unless Kei wills it to be seen. It engulfs her body in heat which reaches a temperature upwards of 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. There are only two reasons why everything around her isn't on fire. One: her clothes are actually resistant to the heat and flames, making only when you are able to reach under her skin dangerous. Two: the mist-like skin also protects the heat from escaping, making it only once you touch her bones dangerous. Despite those, she still has a glow around her, making her always seen to the naked eye unless someone else does something. Because she's essentially a walking hot skeleton, Kei is essentially immune to things like poisons, drowning, or even burning to a degree. You can still burn her to ashes, but you can't cause her to die just by the burns themselves.  This is the ability which causes her appearance to change, as mentioned above.

Zanka no Tachi, Minami: Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin (残火の太刀 "南": 火火十万億死大葬陣, Longsword of the Remnant Flame, South: Great Burial Ranks of the Ten Trillion Fire Dead): Creates seven immense pillars of flame which surround an area up to 200 yards in diameter. The intent of this technique is to trap the opponent in the caged inferno and destroy them. The power of this technique can destroy everyone caught in its vicinity, including Kei herself.

Zanka no Tachi, Kita: Tenchi Kaijin (残火の太刀 "北": 天地灰尽, Longsword of the Remnant Flame, North: Heaven and Earth End in Ashes): A slash of concentrated fire and heat which incinerates whatever it touches out of existence.

• Name [-]
  
• Appropriate Age [-]
  
• Gender [-]
  
• Appearance Present [-]
  
• Appearance Described in Appropriate Length OR Picture is Visible [-]
  
• Appearance is Not Claimed [-]
  
• 15 sentences for personality [-]
  
• History is 15 sentences [-]
  
• Powers are not Godmod/Overpowered [-]
  
• Powers are described reasonably enough [-]
  
• Powers are not in First Person [-]
  
  

Comments/Notes: Hot.
Tier: 1-3
Natural Skill Points: 230
Racial Skill Points: 230