Hyosuke Niyagata [WIP]

Mon Oct 10, 2022 4:33 am

THE SHINIGAMI TEMPLATE

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I. Basic Information

» Name: Hyosuke Niyagata
» Alias: Lord Niyagata (Formally);The Crimson Dancer; Weaver of Blood; Red-Eyed Butcher; The Twinblade Lord; Former Captain
» Age: 526
» Gender: Male

» Association: The Niyagata Clan; Soul Society; Formerly of the Gotei

» Appearance Written: Hyosuke Niyagata is a tall, well-muscled Shinigami with a young appearance despite his age. Sharp, angular and handsome features make his appearance rather nebulous when deciding what age 'category' one might place him in. At times when he is forced to adopt a stern expression he seems very much a man of rugged late adulthood, yet other times when smiling or laughing he appears quite a bit younger than he might otherwise. His head and face are capped and, subsequently, framed by long, luxuriantly sweeping black hair that cascades down his body.

Of Hyosuke's body to call him fit or muscular would be a disservice, by his own estimation, as he has religiously honed himself into a weapon and warrior for the purposes of a Shinigami. Should anyone ever get a peak of what lies under his loosely fitting robes they would find a physique in an unparalleled prime, wrought and forged of countless hours of exertion with the blade and only slightly fewer hours in pitched battle.

Of small note, Hyosuke always wears an eyepatch over his right eye. Very few, if any, living people in Soul Society have seen him without it.

» Appearance Image:

Casual:

Headshot:

I. Personality

» Personality:

Hyosuke Niyagata is a man defined by his conviction and devotion to what he believes to be the absolute, unshakeable purpose of Soul Society. That being the safeguarding of mortal souls and the eradication, hunting and banishing of Hollows and other more destructive creatures wherever they can be found. It is his solitary belief that it is the duty of all Shinigami to execute this duty, to hone themselves in both mind and body, to better pursue this purpose.

All this being said, he is not a man of absolute obsession to the point of denying anything not related to this goal. People still have to LIVE, after all, outside of that which is their purpose and Lord Niyagata sees the balance of dedication to the goals of the Shinigami along with experiencing actual life to be one and the same process. After all he learned long ago that it quickly becomes impossible for a Shinigami to understand and protect humanity if they devote themselves to an idea to such an extent they become less than human.

Outside of his convictions surrounding his belief of what a Shinigami should be Hyosuke is rather laid back when not focusing on his duties. Possessing a very strict, very rigidly mentally enforced dividing line between who he is when functioning in his capacity as a Shinigami and who he is when he is simply head of the Niyagata Clan and can often be found wandering the Rukongai, even into higher numbered districts, to visit various shops and, particularly, hot springs found there. Possessing a certain fondness for using hot springs in order to relax and recuperate.

However, it should be noted that, due to his past, Hyosuke has developed a deep-seated, buried rage he has shown to non of his contemporaries in the Soul Society. The only individuals to ever see it are all dead, whether by his hand or not, and while when calm he is a charming, cunning individual this anger has never dwindled, never left him and remains expressed in his pride and indignation towards other beings all the same.

All that being said Hyosuke's devotion to the role of Shinigami, allegiance to Soul Society and deep-seated anger does not necessarily extend to his belief in the body of the Gotei itself. In truth in more recent decades he has found the current Gotei's willingness to associate with Hollows, Quincy and other beings to be rather..... distasteful. In truth it would not be a stretch to say Hyosuke despises Hollows and, by extension, Arrancar. Those of mixed descent like the Vizard he pities, seeing them as 'dirtied' but still, somewhat, Shinigami. Meanwhile he views the Quincy as, put simply, fools and children playing at a role that is not meant to be their own. While he would still be cordial toward a Quincy it is not a stretch to say that he would be polite, if not a bit patronizing.

Of the other kinds of beings found in the realms he has a very neutral opinion of Denava, finding them to be simple oddities that are best left alone but Demons he harbors a disgust for nearly equal to what he feels towards Hollows. They are, put simply, the refuse of reality that it is the duty of Shinigami such as himself to eliminate. Nothing more, nothing less, and while Arrancar can wear the skin and face of a person they are, undeniably and forever, beasts and creatures to be abhored.

I. History

» History:

Ignoble Beginnings:

Bloody Ascension:

As an Experiment:

Proving himself a resourceful and cunning child Hyosuke lived more or less without serious issue in the Rukongai for a year or so, stealing what he could, making what he could of a life for himself, and seizing on every opportunity to pull and tear himself out of a life of squalor as he could. So it came to be that Hyosuke took up the offer of a man claiming to be from the legendary Soul Society. A man who had gathered other children and young men like himself for induction into Shin'o Academy with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a Shinigami!

This, as Hyosuke would come to learn, was a promise too good to be true. Indeed the children and young men were taken and they WERE trained, but not as Shinigami and certainly not at Shin'o Academy. No. Instead they were not gods of death, but it's penultimate victims. Hyosuke never knew who the man, or men, in charge of all this were but everyone who was taken by them were forced into bloody mock wars. Were cloned, remade, healed, stitched and forced back into fighting shape over and over. From being split into two groups and made to fight to the death, to being put into free-for-all's and ordered to secure a flag to a certain point for victory, Hyosuke was put into trial after trial, blood-sport after blood-sport, and, eventually, not only survived but became the one thing the people behind those experiments desired one of them to be.... powerful.....

As a Finished Product:

Water ran over Hyosuke in a pouring deluge of rain, cold, wet and unwelcome like the grasping hands of a million water-slick corpses seeking to drag him up into a cold, mist-laden hell. His breathing was sharp, soft white clouds of breathe wafting in front of him as his calloused, raw and bleeding hands twisting onto the pommel of the blade in his grasp. It's tip shaking softly as he leveled it's chipped, damaged point toward the only living enemy left. A boy much like himself but bald, who bore a deep gash on his left arm, and warily waded Hyosuke away with a vicious looking cleaver. Angling it inward in a wary, guarded stance.

Hyosuke began to move, slowly, with numb, cold legs and almost stumbled as his foot lightly touched the water-logged corpse of one who had already died. His throat seized, terror gripping him, and he had to fight the urge to look down. His mind screaming at him both that he was surrounded by the dead, by corpses, by what were once PEOPLE, while also screeching in primal, survivalist fear that to look down, to hesitate, to see the milky dead eyes of the person's body he had touched.... would be the death of him..... and so he didn't.

His opponent, however, lost that battle of wills. The boy's eyes briefly flickered down, checking why Hyosuke had stopped moving, and the moment his eyes fell upon the corpse Hyosuke's heart was gripped with sorrow because of a single fact.... he had won... and that boy was dead. He saw it all even as he stepped in, over the corpse, blade drawing back, and preparing to strike the entire time. The body, no older than he cracked, his numb hands dropped the cleaver, his face wrinkled in sorrow, his mouth opening in a maddened wail of crying screams, and he broke. Screaming, begging for his mother, for the Shinigami, for anyone or anything to save him from this hell.... and the only one who answered was Hyosuke by driving a blade into his screaming neck

Only after the boy's body fell, only after Hyosuke stood there, silent and choked to breathlessness,, did his hands begin to shake and the sword fell limply from his grasp. He lifted them, slowly, his blood-splattered hands, even as the ones who had trapped him, taken him, approached and congratulated him... he stared at his bloodied hands that never seemed to come clean, no matter how the sky wept down upon them. No matter if it rained or poured, if he scrubbed them together, or if the the rain was joined softly by the falling of his tears, the blood. Never. Left.

By the overseers he was taken, he was bathed, they talked and murmured about how he was the one, the one who had survived, who had triumphed, and they finally spoke to him in voices other than threatening death or giving commands. They praised him, instructed him, they placed an eyepatch upon his newly reddened eyes 'as a reward' they said. His mind was bombarded with more prompts, more words, as his face was adorned with an eyepatch that hurt him and bandages that soothed him.

'You will be given something else.'

'It is yours.....'

'...An Asauchi, don't ask how we got it. Hehehe.'

As a Scared Monster:

[i]Hyosuke was then given a bed, or something much more like a bed than he had ever had, bundled up with the rough, vicious looking sword, and for the first time in a long, long time he was able to achieve something like sleep. This sleep was short-lived, however, as it felt as if he had barely closed his eyes when he heard the sounds of fighting, of dying, sounds he now knew too well. While he was, indeed, frightened overnight that vicious looking sword had become a soft, beautiful umbrella, something to shield him from the rain he so viciously hated now. Something that, in this place of darkness, brought him some small measure of comfort.

Once more steeling himself, wearily, Hyosuke found the long umbrella too unwieldly for his exhausted, thin, weak arms to wield properly and so he bundled it into his arms. So tired, so weary, so willing to face death yet too numb to fight it was he, that he hobbled out into the rain, finding the building he was in empty, finding no one to instruct or greet him, to command or beat him, Hyosuke wandered out into the rain, into the aftermath of a battle. There he found the men who he had feared so much, the men who had taken so much from him, slain and dead at the hands of a single Shinigami. An older man in white and black robes of fine make, a man who thought him an enemy at first, who readied himself for battle before seeing the child. This man who had found him, this man who would go to him, this man who would lift him and hug him, who would keep him warm against this rain, this man who would go on to be his father....

Now a Niyagata:

Finally a Child:

For the first time in his life luck and fortune would smile down on Hyosuke as the Shinigami who found him, Usui Niyagata, was head of a noble, wealthy family and while Usui had often cursed his fate for it, had been unable to produce an heir with his wife. Such as things were it came to pass that Hyosuke was taken in by this family, adopted fully, and made the eldest son of the Niyagata family. A far cry from the blood sport he had been subjected to Hyosuke now sat in the lap of luxury and love, in particular growing to enjoy hot baths and spas, the opposite of cold rain, and he was happy.

Not all was perfection in paradise, however, as even though Usui trained, instructed and lectured the young Hyosuke on how to be a noble he was, at heart, a very traditional Patriarch. It was no small secret that, even though Usui loved Hyosuke as his son, the Patriarch of the Hiyagata family still desired a son of his own. This, for the longest time, hurt Hyosuke who, in his youth, decided that if who he was now did not make his father completely happy, would resolve himself to everything Usui taught him, to be the best son he could be. Thus it came to pass that Hyosuke devoted himself fully to his studies, his lessons, his etiquette and training, and, finally, when he was truly introduced to Shin'o Academy, to the practices of the Shinigami.

As a Student:

From yet another grueling session of merciless training did Hyosuke emerge, hands blistered and sore from training, mind whirling with lessons from studying, did Hyosuke return to his room through the Niyagata Estate. The soft timbre of his father's voice drew his attention, however, to a small, special room. Never having quite shook his cunning, devious nature, Hyosuke could not help himself but to peek and, seeing his father knelt before what he stood to be the inherited Zanpakuto of the Niyagata family, not wielded since it's founding member, did Hyosuke hear him silently pray for a son to join Hyosuke. Hiding until his father retired to bed the young, sore, battered and tired Hyosuke quietly entered the room, his wide singular eye staring in awe at the weapon before him, his small hand gently touching the hilt, feeling a soft tingle, before he respectfully knelt where Usui had and offered his own silent prayer to echo his father's.

'Anything.... to make father happy.....'

As a Hopeful Son:

As a Brother and Son:

With Junpaku:

By some unknown means it barely a year after this profound night that, for a moment, both Usui and Hyosuke were truly, sincerely, elated. Their prayers had been answered, his mother was pregnant, and in but the blink of an eye a new member joined their family. This new son they named Junpaku and from the moment he was old enough to communicate with, and be beside Hyosuke, the two were inseparable.

Compared to Hyosuke's devoted, cunning and all-around very vigorous approach to life Junpaku was much lore laid back and contemplative, temperate and empathetic. The two, like day and night, complimented the other and, indeed, even participated at the Academy together once Junpaku was old enough. Taking time to train, study and practice together at every opportunity. The two brothers truly loved each other.

This story, however, while not taking a sorrowful turn out of purpose or spit, does not end well for the growing Hyosuke, now a young man, and well aware of the fact that over the years Usui had begun to favor the seemingly more fragile, level-headed Junpaku to be head of the clan and, though Hyosuke did not really mind the position being taken, he was deeply hurt by Usui's ever-increasing obvious favoritism and, separately, was spurred on by a combination of his frustration with the Soul Society's changing nature, as he had truly adopted Usui's more hard-line, traditional stances and mindset when dealing with the Soul Society, but Usui also made his own frustrations with the Soul Society out on Hyosuke. Making his training more vigorous, sparing his brother it all, and due to Junpaku's laid back nature slowly driving a wedge between the once inseparable brothers.

None but Hyosuke knows what happened one fateful night, during which Hyosuke and his brother argued for the very first time before the shrine the Zanpakuto was at, their argument lasted hours, their voices raising and falling, tears were shed and, finally, all that was known to anyone else is that when Usui entered the room to check on the two the only one he found was a bewildered, shaking Hyosuke, holding the familial Zanpakuto in his shaking, bloody hands. Usui, incensed to a mad rage by the seeming murder of Junpaku by Hyosuke, attacked his son and, once again fighting for his life, Hyosuke slew the man who had saved him, who had taken him in, and given him a life. As Usui died and Hyosuke wept, explaining what had happened to his dying father, attendants of the Clan arrived to tend to their dying master who, forgiving his son in his last moments, apologized to him, claimed that Junpaku had fled and named Hyosuke his successor before passing away.

That night, for reasons unknown to Hyosuke until centuries later, his mother also died of unknown circumstances. Leaving him well and truly alone again, except now instead of a blood-drenched battlefield it was on the opposite end of reality as noble, powerful Lord, with no one to love and share it with.....

Alone Again:

As a Captain:

As a Lord:

I. Natural Abilities

» Natural Abilities:

Kido Savant: Hyosuke possesses a singularly, startling affinity for the art of Kido and it's advancements and derivatives. To such a potent, unnatural extent that all throughout his life he has never experienced a loss in power or effectiveness from Incantation Abandonment.

Preternatural Weaponmaster: Ever seeking the approval and acceptance of his father Hyosuke has spent countless, innumerable hours honing himself to combat a plethora of battlefield weaponry with a sword. Making him a true demon with the blade even to those near in skill to himself.

Absolute Dedication: When it comes to his own idealized role of the Gotei and Soul Society as a whole Hyosuke is unflinchingly, unwaveringly devoted to this ideal and would sooner die than betray it.

The Everything Zanpakuto: Though Hyosuke has never wielded his second blade in combat he does have a habit of playing mind-games with his opponents on what it's effect might be. Ranging from attributing happenstance to it's ability to informing an opponent who questions him that he has, in fact, already subjected them to it's effect, among other things. Among the most outlandish was one instance of fooling an enemy it gave them the power to read their minds, whereupon by pure luck, Hyosuke correctly told the opponent what they were going to say right before they said it.

Strength Befitting a Lord: Hyosuke's Spiritual Energy is massively potent when adorned with his eyepatch but, should he ever remove it, it becomes all too obvious just what kind of monster he was forced to become during the dark depths of his past. Thankfully, he has never done this and would only consider it in the depths of his long-suppressed rage, such as if someone were to insult his brother or father to his face.

An Infamous Eye-Patch: Though not the exact same one worn by a certain previous Captain, Hyosuke's eyepatch nonetheless functions identically to said piece of attire, restraining and suppressing his unnatural amount of Spiritual Energy.

I. Racial Abilities

» Racial Abilities:

Butcher's Dance: Over his many centuries of combat Hyosuke has developed a specialized form of Zanjutsu focusing on draw-cuts and angled lacerations with his Zanpakuto mixed with incredibly efficient dueling forms to enable his blows to draw especially grievous bleeding wounds.

Eternally Silent: Born with a capacity for Kido rarely, if ever, seen among Soul Society Hyosuke is able to use any and all Kido he is capable of casting with no Incantation at no loss of effectiveness.

Flowing Form: In addition to Butcher's Dance effecting his actual strikes, Flowing Form denotes Hyosuke's ability to adjust his fighting style between offensive and defensive postures with great efficiency. This has the benefit of making him exceptionally able at seeing through feints and blocking ripostes from other skilled opponents.

Mathematical Swordsmanship: As the abilities of his Zanpakuto will make more clear Hyosuke's style of fighting also weaves multiples attacks from a variety of angles into it's free-flowing form. Making Hyosuke's dance-like style of fighting an eternal calculus of subconsciously judging angles, distances and positioning to a very high degree.

Junjutsu: Despite not wielding Junpaku No'Cho openly Hyosuke has had a normal blade made to as near the balance and specifications of Junpaku No'Cho's that he wears on hip and practices with. While he is a truly deadly swordsman with only Odoru Benicho he has diverted most of his time to fighting with two swords and is monstrously, lethally proficient with them.

Blood Magic: While it is a misconception that Hyosuke uses blood to cast his Kido it is not one to say that given his fighting style he is not incredibly able to weave the use of Kido into his strikes and may use blood to enhance his Kido. As a very unique alteration brought on by his innate skill with Kido and his Zanpakuto if Hyosuke can gather a handful of his opponents blood when releasing a Kido that blood will evaporate and the Kido in question will gain a moderate affinity for tracking that specific target.

I. Sealed Powers

» Zanpakutô Name: Odoru Benichō

» Zanpakutô Spirit Appearance:

Odoru Benicho Appearance:

» Inner World:

The Crimson Palace:

Hyosuke's Inner World takes the form of a stoic palace of deep, dark reds and depthless blacks. Rivers of blood crisscross the pristine landscape and soft, white butterflies flutter placidly around his odd place. The palace is always pristinely maintained and during every visit Hyosuke and Odoru engage in combat until Odoru is satisfied by his performance, eternally testing her wielder as they ascend in power.

» Sealed Zanpakutô Appearance:

Sealed Appearance:

When Sealed Odoru takes the form of a large red Wagasa of fine make.

» Sealed Zanpakutô Power:

Weaver of Blood: While Sealed Odoru allows Hyosuke to manipulate his own blood while it is within 5 meters of Hyosuke.

The Crimson Dance: While Sealed Odoru is able to phase itself out of any of Hyosuke's blood if the surface of blood is large enough to accommodate it's form and the blood is within the range set by Weaver of Blood. A single drop, for example, would not be broad or wide enough for the umbrella to emerge from.

I. Shikai

» Shikai Release Phrase: Flow like a river; Odoru Benicho!

» Shikai Release Action: Upon releasing his Shikai Hyosuke stabs the tip of Odoru's Wagasa form into his palm, drawing blood.

» Shikai Appearance:

Shikai Appearance:

» Shikai Abilities:

Enhanced Weaver of Blood: When in it's Shikai Odoru Benicho extends the range Hyosuke can manipulate his blood out to 10 meters. Additionally the speed and finesse they are able to employ when manipulating Hyosuke's blood is such that Odoru Benicho can harden his blood upon being wounded, allowing Hyosuke to catch enemy weapons inside his own body.

Enhanced Crimson Dance: Odoru is now able to phase out of any blood surfaces, either Hyosuke's or that of others, out to the range indicated by Enhanced Weaver of Blood. The blood surface must still be large enough to accommodate the blade emerging from it.

Bloodsong: Upon entering Shikai Hyosuke gains a 6th sense that allows him to sense any and all blood within 10 meters separate from his other senses or sensory abilities.

Crimson-Eyed Fury: Drawing nearby blood into his body Hyosuke is able to over-oxygenate his body to grant himself increased power dependent on the amount of blood absorbed. Though while in Shikai this amplification only last for two posts, regardless of the quantity of blood he absorbs, and can only be used once per thread.

I. Bankai

» Bankai Release Phrase: Drink from their Hearts, Odoru Benicho!

» Bankai Release Action: Upon stating the release phrase Hyosuke impales himself in the heart with Oduru Benicho.

» Bankai Appearance:

Bankai Appearance:

Upon ascending to Bankai Odoru Benicho's sword form does not change in appearance, rather it's change in appearance is more related to Hyosuke himself. After impaling himself for the release six blade tendrils emerge from Hyosuke's back, each one 5 meters long individually, and bearing sharp barbed tips and serrated bloods to draw blood with.

» Bankai Abilities:

Master of Blood: The range of 'Enhanced Weaver of Blood', 'Enhanced Crimson Dance' and 'Bloodsong' extend to 30 meters. Additionally, all liquids within this range slowly coagulate into blood over two posts.

Crimson-Eyed Rage: The duration of 'Crimson-Eyed Fury' extends to Four posts and can be used an additional time per thread after a two post cooldown. The amplification also increases to such an extent one General Skill at the time of use can be increased to be equivalent to a low-performance version of the next Skill level. Such as advancing his Speed from Adept to Advanced, allowing him to outclass other Adept speed levels, but be ever so slightly slower than other Advanced speed levels.

Flowing Blade: Odoru Benicho's blade and blade-tendril forms are able to turn themselves into flowing, liquid blood on command while maintaining their shape. Allowing solid objects to pass through them or worm some of their liquid form into the wounds of another being to tear their body from the inside.

Archmage of Blood: With the expanded powers of his Bankai, and an advancement of his natural 'Blood Magic' ability, Hyosuke is now able to phase his Kido through blood sources within 30 meters just as he would Odoru Benicho itself. Provided, of course, the blood surface is large enough to accommodate what the Kido generates.

I. Sealed Powers

» Zanpakutô Name: Junpaku No'Cho

» Zanpakutô Spirit Appearance:

Junpaku No'Cho:

Junpaku No'cho's spirit appears as Niyagata's once-brother, or was his brother manifested, and bears a very similar appearance to Hyosuke himself. With a moderate height, slender but muscled figure and fine black hair he cuts a distinctly feminine but handsome appearance. Additionally, Junpaku No'Cho's features are much more angular than Hyosuke's own, lending him a more friendly, open face with higher cheekbones and more earnest eyes. He is, in essence, the Yang to Hyosuke's Yin when it comes to being nearly the same physically but most possibilities having fallen in the opposite favor for his appearance.

» Inner World: Strangely enough Junpaku No'Cho does not possess a traditional Inner World. Rather whenever Hyosuke's enters the Inner World of Odoru Benicho Junpaku No'Cho acoompanies him as a swarm of pure white butterflies and a gentle aura of soft golden white, lending a stark contrast to the deep, bloody reds and blacks of Odoru Benicho's own.

» Sealed Zanpakutô Appearance:

Sealed Appearance:

» Sealed Zanpakutô Power: Hyosuke has never utilized Junpaku No'Cho in combat and has, by his own telling, used a massive variety of abilities that all could, potentially, be the ability of Junpaku No'Cho.

Sealed Power:

I. Shikai

» Shikai Release Phrase: I Miss You, Junpaku No'Cho.

» Shikai Release Action: Hyosuke embraces one of the butterflies of Junpaku No'Cho closely as he utters the Release Phrase.

» Shikai Appearance:

Junpaku No'Cho Shikai Appearance:

» Shikai Abilities:

Shikai Powers:

I. Bankai

» Bankai Release Phrase: We will Always be Together.

» Bankai Release Action: Hyosuke kneels in prayer for a brief moment as he utters the Release Phrase.

» Bankai Appearance:

Bankai Appearance:

» Bankai Abilities:

[spoiler= Bankai Abilities]

Beloved Brothers: Increasing on 'Inseparable Brothers' abilities even further now Junpaku No'Cho is capable of effecting up to a dozen individuals, Hyosuke is amplified significantly upon using Junpaku No'Cho and if more than three individuals beyond Hyosuke are amplified, diminishing as before, the amplification becomes so minute on the fourth that it is all but irrelevant.

Additionally, Hyosuke can now link any number of people under Junpaku No'Cho's effect to anyone else under it's effect in any combination he sees fit, but must maintain the link to at least one person to keep the effect active and, lastly, this ability now no longer has a set duration for a thread by it's own power, but should it's effect be ended by outside sources it is still ended and must be re-established to that individual.

A Brother's Love: An even larger swarm of pure white butterflies now encircle Hyosuke, enough cover a space equal to one tier lower than his power rating in effect area.

Always There For You: An improvement upon 'Always the Calmer One' now Hyosuke gains a Regeneration rating equal to one rank lower than his Durability.

I. Equipment

» Equipment:
- Energy Draining Eye-Patch
- Clan Niyagata Robes
- False Junpaku No'Cho

I. Skill Sheet

(To Find Out about what these skills are for, please READ THIS THREAD before you try doing anything to it)

General Skills

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

Will Skills

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

Shinigami Skills

Hoho: Advanced
Kidō: Advanced
Zanjutsu: Elite
Hakuda: Beginner

I. Role Play Sample

» Roleplay Sample: [Please show us how you role play by either posting a previous post from another site or creating a new one. We do this so we know your RP skill. If you already have an accepted, you need not do another RP sample]

END OF THE SHINIGAMI APPLICATION