Daigo, The 'Twisted' Vizard [APPROVED, 2-5+]

PERSONALITY

The Beginning Of The End

Daigo's childhood as a human boy was relatively lax and generic. Living in early 19th century China in the last century of the Qing Dynasty, making for quite a simple upbringing when it came to his early childhood years. Daigo was born into a family of three, being an only child. Living in a small village in the country side, the boy was but one of the dozens of children that lived inside this village. There were very few places for these children to spend time together, let alone many children being of the same age. Of the dozens of kids around, only three children were born in line with Daigo's birth. So, with that being the case, of course these kids would grow to be closer than most. A small band of misfits, Daigo and those close to him were quickly talk of the village as he quickly grew.

Very little changed throughout Daigo's early years, until the age of thirteen everything seemed relatively simple to him. The boy mostly spent his time with his small knit group of friends outside of his academic studies. The four boys studied together at a neighboring areas academy, waking early in the morning to be escorted to the large building before being let loose once they arrived home. This was a simple and quick schedule for Daigo, back and forth and back and forth throughout the weeks and months that lead to his tenth birthday. Everything in the boy's life seemed in place. Mother and Father were happy, both working as glorified gardener's for the neighboring village that his academy was nestled within. Even those around him, friends and strangers alike, seemed to fall in line for the boy's happy life. Nothing could truly go wrong in his eyes. That was, until his tenth brithday had finally rolled around.

The year was 1806, the thick air of rebellion continued to filter its way throughout China. It was a simple day, the rain seemed to continue to pour and soak the villagers as Daigo and his friends were quickly on their way to their home village coming from school. Nothing special had given off that the day would soon devolve into a disturbing sight for those that lived within the Village, the only sign being one from a so called "God". Many believed that God had warned them of this day through the tears he drenched their lands in. Nevertheless, it was clear that the flames the boy saw licking at the sky before them were coming from their home. Rushing towards the village, Daigo and the boys quickly began to enter a world they had never hoped to encounter, let alone knew existed.

Daigo burst through the demolished gate of his Village, the boys following in hot pursuit as the finally came upon the bloody scene that was their village square. Flames spilled over from home to home, the smell of scorched flesh and the wailing screeches of women and children soon filled the ears of the young boys. The destruction was immense, the stench and screams quickly causing the boys to break down in their own wailing sobs. Daigo, however, was different it seemed. Instead of dropping to his knees and wishing for a change, he had rushed forward through the rows of houses and buildings in order to search for his own home. There was little he could do for those that had been burnt alive in an act of terror that he couldn't fathom, therefore the first plan of action was to see his parents once more. Clearly, there was something going on that he didn't yet understand.

Quickened steps led Daigo to the front porch of his own home, its wooden surfaces being wholly undamaged from the flames that licked those around him. Flying through its entrance, the boy hustled is way towards the back yard only to find a sight he had wished to never meet. There stood his mother and father, three men standing beside them in a line. These men brandished sabres to their side, Daigo's father pouring with sweat as the dreaded rain continued to smack against the pale skin of all in attendance. "Mom, D-Dad" Thick tears began to stream against Daigo's own soft skin, the thick mandarin language escaping from his throat as he attempted to rush to their side. Quickly, however, the three men who had previously stood next to his parents had come down upon him. A single man gripped at the boy's wrist, tossing him to the side as the other two followed suit with his mother. Soon, the three converged towards where his father now stood, stoic and without fear.

It all happened in a split second, the tallest of the three men drawing his sabre in a flash, only to fling the blade into his father's upper jaw. As it made impact, the sound of crushing bone and flowing blood ringed through the air as Daigo looked on. One twist after another caused the sabre to be shoved deeper into the man's skull, what was only small amounts of blood now became a reservoir releasing itself into the muddied earth beneath the four. Then, the man slowly slid the sabre from the father's skull before kicking his limp body to the earth, cleaning the blade on the dead man's shirt. The tall man glanced toward his associates, motioning towards the mother as they quickly picked her up. The woman was completely silent, a look of terror washing over her face as she was knelt before the soldier. His already dirtied sabre was raised to waist high as he took hold of the mother's right hand before quickly slicing through each of the woman's fingers, screams of agony releasing from the female's throat as they once again tossed her to the ground to pool in her own blood, sobbing.

"W-What..." Small sounds escaped Daigo's lips as the men quickly came down on him once more, the acts that quickly unfolded before him seeming dream like in a sense. The boy weighed very little, making it quite easy for the tall man to hold him up by both hands against the back wall of his childhood home. The deep crimson shades within the man's eyes searched the boy's body before making eye contact with him, the tiniest of smirks emerging as he brandished his sabre once more. "Learn from your Father's mistakes, boy." Without another word, the sabre was quietly forced through the top portion of Daigo's left hand, the rush of adrenaline in the boy's system entirely nullifying the pain that he would soon awake to later on. Releasing his grip, the man turned to the innards of Daigo's home, motioning to his allies and walking from the property. Their lay Daigo and his mother, pouring blood from their respective hands.

Was this all real? The dream esque situation had finally concluded and he continued to lay awake, so it had to be real, right? The young boy crawled to his limp father, rolled eyes staring towards the bleak, grey sky. As his mother sobbed in her own blood, the boy took hold of his father's shirt as he began to cry. Only moments passed before he had lost enough blood to enter a state of shock, causing him to black out entirely. The rain pelted the three beings as their village continued to sprout flame after flame. This event carved a path for Daigo's future and his involvement with a certain war. It would force him along a path that no one would ever wish for their child. Even though that may be the case, the soldiers had made clear to Daigo what caused all of this. A simple mistake from his father, a mistake he would later learn about after his death.

The Path Forward

Years have past since the incident in Daigo's home village, the boy is now of a ripe age of twenty three now. Many things have changed since the faithful day of his Father's death. Daigo's mother had been left for dead, the boy being retrieved by those in his academy's village, taking the ten year old and others in now that their village had become a barren land. He continued with his education once the wound in his hand was given time to heal, the boy and those around him went on as if the day had never truly happened. While they never spoke of the heinous crimes, Daigo held tight to the moments of that day as he grew. The boy lacked emotion in most cases, basic needs like food and shelter being all the child needed at the end of the day. Once he concluded his studies, Daigo bid his new village farewell to move to the current capital of China, Beijing. There, the young man found his way into the transportation of imported goods.

Clearly, Daigo didn't just stumble onto this job. Previously, Daigo worked as a bodyguard for a wealthy man that roamed the streets of Beijing, using this as a gateway into the world of drugs. The wealthy benefactor had a knack for filling his daily diet with excessive amounts of Opium, causing him quite a bit of distress throughout his work for the man. Most of the issues that would crop up over the man's Opium use was the police having little patience for even the richest of rich. There wasn't a day that went by where Daigo would be found taking a punch or two from men dressed in uniform due to his employers habits. Nevertheless, the emotionless machine continued his work until he was soon offered a position with the benefactor's team of transporters. Maybe someone who wasn't Daigo would consider this type of job disgusting due to its lack of respect for the Qing Government. To Daigo, however, this job was just another pay check. It was as clear as day to him.

Daigo spent many of his days meeting with his "co-workers", in this case they would be labeled as smugglers by the Qing Government. They didn't do anything special to Daigo, the job consisted of acquiring chests of Opium and deliver them to a "supplier". Once delivered, the Opium will be sold on a market that was hidden from the public for good reason. The Qing Government had recently enforced higher restrictions on the prohibition of Opium, making the job that much more dangerous. This didn't matter much to the man as he previously made clear, work is work. Whether this work went against the government was the last thing he cared about. With that out of the way, it was just like any other day for the smugglers. They were currently meeting with their contact in an undisclosed location in order to obtain the chests for that days payment.

"I assume you have the chests?" An impatient Daigo tapped his foot against the dirt beneath him, his loose clothing shaking as he waited for the contact to present a chest to him and the four men behind him. He quickly turned from the group to his own cart, rustling within its contents until he finally heaved a large chest from its innards and turned back towards the smugglers. Nervously shaking, the contact thrust the chest into Daigo's arms. "H-Here" As usual, the man was on edge during the meet. Daigo sighed and shifted the weight of the chest in his arms as he nodded. "Everyone fill the cart with the chests he's carrying." Tossing his own chest into the cart the men had carried out into the country side with them, Daigo turned away from the men and sighed.

Pulling a pipe from his clothing, Daigo filled its basin with a set amount of opium as he quickly lit the drug from a distance. Waiting for the drug to broil, the man looked to the sky and thought to himself. Just another day in the business of upsetting the Government. Was this really all there was to life for the man that could barely feel, let alone care for himself? Shaking his head, Daigo turned back to his pipe as the drug began to smoke. Leaning forward, he attempted to inhale the smoke. Normally, he would be effective having learned how to deal with Opium thanks to his benefactor. However, this time, it seemed he would be rudely interrupted from the process.

Daigo turned to be met with enough force to send him flying, an impact into his jaw causing a loud pop to screech into the air. It seemed the man's jaw was broken. Wasn't this great, first he doesn't get to inhale his smoke and now someone had to go and break his beautiful face. Coughing up blood, the man tried to let it ooze carefully out of his mouth as he looked towards the direction his assailant should have been occupying. It seemed that the attacker was already next to him now, a foot quickly shoving at his side as the man spoke. "Night Night. We'll see you again in a couple of hours sweetheart." With a genuine smile, the man pulled his leg backward only to send it flying. Making contact with the side of Daigo's skull, he was quickly knocked out cold. Soon enough, the man would find himself awaking to a very, very worrisome place.

Once again, flames sprang to life in Daigo's eyes as he quickly came to a relatively dark room. Save for the small lamp placed above him, the appearance of the room was mostly a mystery. Searing pain shot through the man's skull as he adjusted his body. Ropes had torn wounds in his wrists, the tightness of the cloth entirely cutting off circulation to his hands. Gazing into the black void that was the rest of the room, Daigo was greeted by the bulky man that had previously ruined his jaw. He was far more menacing in the shades of the lamp's flame, his previous garb having a thick, leather apron tied around it. Alongside this thick apron were tight leather mitts, giving him full range of his fingers for the moment.

"Well now, it seems someone is finally awake, huh?"

The man gripped at Daigo's loose jaw as he snickered, glancing towards the black void before breaking out into a full chuckle. He disappeared from Daigo's line of sight before returning once again with a wooden cart. Atop the cart was a thick piece of folded cloth. Looking back towards Daigo, the assailant proceeded to speak. "Here is how this will work, friend. You will tell me whoever is behind this little operation of yours. If you listen, you'll leave with your life just fine. However, if you don't speak..." The man's large hand unfolded the cloth, revealing dozens of forged steel needles. Picking a single needle from the pile, the soon to be torturer quietly slid its length into Daigo's upper pectoral muscle.

"Could you just kill me already?" The jumbled mess that was Daigo's speech was nearly incoherent, the man taken aback from the complete lack of emotion from the man. This only fueled the torturer's ego however. Scoffing at Daigo, the man spat onto his chest before grabbing at another needle. "Would you like to be turned into a pretty picture? Surely I can make some type of pattern with these toys." The steel needle was quickly jammed into Daigo's abdomen this time, blood beginning to pour from the entry wound that the man had forced open.

"Really?"

It was clear that whatever methods the man had planned to ring information from Daigo would lack any success, the previous needle's efforts lacking in any type of oomph factor. The man knew this, however, so it end goal was very simple now. Folding the cloth, he dragged the cart along with him into the darkness before emerging once again. This time, wooden staff rested against his shoulders and neck. Tapping his food, the disgruntled torturer sighed and stepped towards Daigo for a final time.

"You really didn't need to make this hard, I hope you know that Daigo. Your friends are still alive are suitable candidates for your replacement." Bringing the staff forward, the man rested it against Daigo's temple before questioning the young man. "It isn't too late, you know. Is it really worth protecting such a disgusting group with your own life?"

Daigo remained silent, brushing his cheek against the polished wood that laid against his dirtied skin. His mind was clearly made up, Daigo was ready to meet his end. The torturer let one final sigh escape his lips before pulling the wooden staff back and placing it within the man's mouth. He was clearly disappointed in Daigo's line of thinking. Nevertheless, a job was a job. "It seems you weren't cut out for the living world, now were you?"

Daigo's eyes sprung to life as the wooden staff that previously rested within his mouth was now forced into his throat. The solid wood gave very little to work with as the man continued to force the weapon into the young man's very being. Inch by inch, centimeter by centimeter, the staff ripped and popped everything in its path. Yet again, Daigo had entered a state of shock far before he ever met his final fate, the events of that day being left to the room and that man entirely. Soon after his death, Daigo had found himself awake in a land he knew nothing about, alongside this he had lost a majority of his memories. There were of course, scars that he could never forget. The loss of his only family and his very life could never leave him, even in whatever this current form was. With that, Daigo's journey to becoming a Shinigami, meeting Alice, and obtaining Kyoki began.

Onward To The Present

Growing up as a spirit was very simple for Daigo, much like his own human childhood. Coming into the world as he had left the human realm, the man lacked any real issue becoming accustomed to his new spirit form. He retained nearly all of his physical attributes, even the scars he happened to receive throughout his life seemed to carry over. Interacting with other spirits was also far easier than dealing with anyone in the human world. As if everything was translated for those around him, his foreign accent and language were instantly picked up by those who grew to speak with. It was fascinating, a world that he could have never imagined to exist after death was truly unfathomable. This world gave Daigo hope, something he had not felt in far too long.

The journey to become a Shinigami next to other candidates in the Seireitei was one that was almost too simple for Daigo. Unlike other spirits that would exert large amounts of spiritual energy, Daigo was known among the Seireitei to be able to exert this energy while also keeping it under his control with little effort. Normally, those in his position were too explosive or lacked control of said energy to ever become full fledged Shinigami, though as per the usual Daigo defied the odds. It was simple, really.

Given his birth within the Seireitei, Daigo spent many months before attending Shino with learning of the ways of Shinigami. It was a simple plan of action for the man. There was no reason to be lax about his studies before attending the academy, placing well on the entrance exams was a sure fire way of being recognized by others. With that being the case, here spent a majority of two years studying the teachings of Shinigami and the future path he wished to take. The time he had taken to study was well used as well, for a man like Daigo twenty months worth of rigorous training and honing that knowledge was far more than what he needed to pass with Entrance Exams with flying colors. Finally, it was time to take that step. The month had came and went, the Academy had its set of Exams once more and, to no one's surprise, Daigo topped his group with very little effort. His journey was steadily moving forward.

Days passed before Daigo had any training given to him, it was normal for exam passers to be given a few days to grow accustomed to their surroundings before receiving any type of Asauchi to begin training. It wasn't a very special day, at least, this was the man's assumption as he stood at attention waiting for his instructor to pass his way. The basic Asauchi was being handed out in an orderly fashion, one after the other Shinigami were being given what would eventually become their future partner. It was a dream come true, finally something falling into place for the man, something he was never truly used to. Eventually, his large, bearded teacher had made his way forward, brandishing what seemed to be a blade foreign to what many Asauchi looked like.

It didn't take very long for Daigo to realize form the blade had taken, sitting in a thick leather sheathe in his instructor's hands was what was known as a Yanmaodao in his country. A blade used by many around him before his death, he was very familiar with its make and style. Taking a long look at the softly curved sheathe, the man sent a puzzled look towards its holder. "Is this mine?" It was a simple question that was nearly never asked in such a situation, nevertheless Daigo's instructor spoke freely to the man. "Just go ahead and take it. We have high expectations from you, Daigo." Thrusting the blade forward, Daigo was abruptly forced to take hold of it in fear of dropping it entirely.

The man's fingers quietly traced the entirety of the blade as he smiled, an expression he hadn't made it so long. As if carefully trying to respect the blade, the Man became entrance in it's well made design. Quickly, he was interrupted said trance at a moment's notice. 'You're odd.' The soft spoken voice of a woman filled Daigo's mind as he abruptly jerked upright, tightening his grip around his blade as he peered around. Everyone stood at attention with their Asauchi at the ready, multiple instructors governing the hall as they continued to hand out the blades. Glancing towards his own Yanmaodao, Daigo whispered aloud.

"Isn't it a bit early for me to be talking to you?" Clearly, Daigo understood the importance of such an interaction with one's Zanpakuto spirit so early. Being able to speak to one's blade without using Jinzen was unheard of the moment they entered the Academy. 'You never asked to speak with me, you can't blame me for taking the first step.' The spirit began mocking the man, she was obviously not in the mood to be questioned. Daigo was without a doubt going to have his hands full while in the academy it seemed. 'You also seem to lack the sense to request my name, are you really a Shinigami in training? Alice. Now stand up straight and start your training.' Daigo straightened out, holding his blade at the ready as he waited for the instructors to finish. Confused but excited, the Shinigami was ready to pounce at such an abnormal and special situation.

Years had passed, the Academy was currently behind Daigo and his future as a Shinigami had quickly turned bleak. While many of those around him were simply fodder soldiers, Daigo barely stood above the rest as someone who lacked a high rank yet still obtained a named blade. He had so much potential, finishing at the top of his class and setting unheard of records for many of his tests. It was clear that the man had a future in the ranks of the Gotei yet he stood here, as guard one night, for the Nest Of Maggots. The high moon had taken hold as he and another Shinigami simply stood watch, constantly vigilant in case something were to seek entry to the Nest. There was very little to do, any real threat to the Nest being completely snuffed out if such a thing existed. Nevertheless, a job was a job. The two were to stand watch until the sun returns to the sky. Nothing to it. Look forward for a couple of hours and head to sleep. Nothing could be easier.

Click, Click, Click The harsh sound of metal against metal filled the air, Daigo and his ally looking to each other as they readied themselves. 'Just breathe' Alice spoke clearly within Daigo's mind as he gazed around, looking for any possible intruder. It seemed the enemy was ready, the metal sound from before was a set of wires that had repeatedly bounced against each other. A quick pull of the wires connected the two men to them as if they were a circuit, causing them both to jerk sporadically in pain. Released the tightened wires, the circuit was cut and the two Shinigami had blacked out naturally. The night that was meant to be simple quickly became far, far worse.

"Wakey Wakey Sleeeeeeeeeeepy" The voice of a perky woman rang through an echoey room as Daigo came to. The room was ablaze in artificial light, everything was in full view of the man. Attempting to sit up only led to restraint, wrists and ankles forcibly tied against a metal slate. Grogginess contained any ability to rip free of his 'chains' yet again Daigo had found himself in a world he had wished not to return to. The energetic woman bounced towards him now, tightening a glove onto her right hand as she chirped aloud. "Yoooooou sweetie are going to be my new play toy! Doesn't that sound super exciting?!?!?" The manic look in her eye quickly caused the man to clam up. Daigo had met this very look multiple times throughout his previous life. Did he really have such luck to meet yet another person who was clearly wishing to bring him harm? Did he really deserve this? Apparently, yes.

Alice had gone entirely silent, the pink haired woman rushing towards a large rack that looked very unstable, pulling various tools and a large basin out from its shelves. Skipping her way back to the man's side, she laid the materials alongside him on a table before shoving a thumb in what Daigo had thought to be a random direction. "You're going to be the successful one this time!" Following the finger to its destination only furthered Daigo's dread as he could now see in full view the desecrated body of his ally guard. His innards had become entirely removed from his stomach cavity, blood soaking the metal slate he was attached to. Empty eyes and completely torn body only gave him the worst of ideas. He was in for quite the time it seemed.

"I'm gonna turn you into a hollow!" As the excited woman began to work, Daigo had become entirely apathetic of the pain and torture he was subjected to. Completely drowning out the world around him he soon realized that it was better this way. Instead of living the entirety of his life falling into the same situation time and time again, he should just go now. Being a hollow was best, he'd be offed in a moments notice. He was finally his time to have purpose, that purpose being to die.

Hours passed, night turned to day and Daigo barely clung to life. His stomach had met the fate of many incisions, stitches, more incisions, and even more stitches. The 'doctor' lacked any real skill for mending, however she was surely on the right track as far as her experiment was concerned. Her vessel was soon to lose all life entirely, making way for whatever she felt could take over the man in the coming minutes. The sweet embrace of death would soon be upon Daigo, a world of release from this apathy and pain. Or so he thought. Whatever God had wept for him in 1806 clearly laughed in his face on this day. A loud bang erupted from the room as a flood of High-Ranking Shinigami worked their way into the 'doctor's' lair, for lack of a better term. The moments quickly bled together as she was almost instantly killed, any hope for success quickly falling through the cracks as Daigo's limp bad was freed from its slate.

Days passed as he recovered in the hospital, is weak body fairing for better than anyone could have expected from the sick experiments the woman had done to him. His skin was quickly repairing itself and any pain from the atrocities was quickly becoming null. To the outside world, it seemed a miracle. To Daigo, it only felt like the worst had finally come. Alice was back, but she was not alone. 'Well, isn't this unfortunate.' Another woman had joined her, one he had yet to understand. Kyōki was her name, she was meant to be the new host of a Vessel, Daigo's in-fact. The woman had failed and now Daigo was subjected to a life changing alteration to his genetic makeup. How wonderful, right? Truly wonderful.

Present

Centuries passed. Little had changed in Daigo's life, no longer associating with the Gotei the man had left in pursuit of knowledge of who and what he was. It didn't take him long to become accustomed to his new self. Alice grew alongside him, the expected coming from the two as he aged. It took very little for Daigo to become friendly with the woman, making it far easier when he officially decided it was best to learn of his powers. Yet another thing that came naturally to him, studying and mastering his Shikai and Bankai was far easier than he had expected. Was it this presence within him that amplified these strengths or was he simply as strong as the Academy believed him to be? Would a connection to a hollow alter him to such a degree? Daigo assumed the answer was yes, his genetic alteration was a factor that furthered his power. It simply made since. A conjured mask, this thick energy that could only be exerted in such a state. Daigo's future was hazy, but as of now, he had come to terms with what he was. A trigger happy Vizard with a lack of patience. A man who looked for nothing in this world save for the knowledge he gained, and the spirits at his side. It wasn't so bad in the end, he could die another day. For now, he was pleased.