Kagayaku no Murasaki [Update]

Murasaki is, beyond all else, someone who does not allow the struggles of the world to impede her. She has, over many years, pursued a clarity of mind and a self-awareness that leaves her with very little in the way of grudges or genuine malice. These things aren’t worth her focus, not when there is so much else in the world to see and to know. Murasaki’s clarity should never be mistaken for detachment; she believes that to sequester herself and her emotions away from the world would only be to deny everything she loves dearly. Her friends, the world itself, the lives she wants to protect, all of this is something that she could never think to abandon, but would rather throw herself toward with all her heart.

In a nutshell, despite the undeniable sense of self and awareness that Murasaki possesses, she in many ways comes across as an everyday young woman, one who is cheerful, friendly, and in some ways, perhaps might be seen as childish. She has no interest in being vague, in acting with masked intentions or stating things unclearly, and so she will always speak her heart in the way that she believes is most appropriate. She is an honest woman, with herself and with others; but honesty does not always equate to kindness.

Murasaki believes that everyone can be reasoned with; she believes that there is good in every living creature. However, she has come to understand that this does not mean that all living creatures will choose to be good. She will always listen to the words of others if they wish to speak, and she will always offer her own views, in turn, but what she will not do is try and convince those who do not wish to be convinced. Some simply will not change; she will simply move on from them, or if she must, cut them out of the way.


Kagayaku no Murasaki's birth is one which was, at the time, a profound event in the Seireitei. As a birth which had not been seen before, and which was considered by all accounts a crime against nature. Murasaki's mother, Koizumi Midori, was by all accounts a model member of the Gotei. She had served as an upstanding member of the Onmitsukido during the war against Aizen, but was generally unremarkable until the day she discovered "a manner to create zanpakuto." This manner was by interbreeding; the act of procreation with one's own zanpakuto spirit.

This crime was considered grave among those of the Central 46, and those of the Great Noble Houses immediately demanded the woman, and her child, be executed for her heinous act. However, the intervention of the Zero Division prevented such a thing from ever occurring, as Midori's "invention" had been sufficient to merit her raising to the position, alongside her exceptional abilities as a shinigami. Thus, not only Midori, but her daughter, Murasaki, were brought into the Soul King's palace.

Those brief 16 years of Murasaki's life were vital even so, as she developed her fundamentals under her mother's tutelage. Training in the shinigami arts as soon as she was able to learn, Murasaki did not study because she was forced to; she did so out of a burning passion to chase greater heights. Above all else, however, was her chasing of swordplay, and when it was shown above all else that she desperately wished to grow stronger, it was allowed for her to go down into the Soul Society proper, to learn at the Academy and discern what she wished to do with her life.

Murasaki's time in the Academy was brief, and in her opinion, stifling. She excelled in all subjects, even those she was wholly uninterested in; she had already learned much of what was being taught before her arrival, at least in the fundamentals. Adapting those fundamentals to newer lessons was inconsequential, particularly when she had little else to focus on. She made no friends, was by and large unliked, and ultimately, this was part of what motivated her to leave all the quicker. In the end, Murasaki completed the Academy curriculum in 3 years, and upon completion was offered no positions in any squad.

This didn't surprise her, and so she opted to simply depart. None chose to stop her; it was a difficult matter to try and kill someone who had already been protected once, even in the abstract, by the Royal Guard. Thus, she was allowed to go free, and she traveled the Earth as a ronin of sorts, protecting people as she traveled and handling Hollows as they appeared in her presence. It was a good life, she thought, one filled with brief loves and earnest joy. But it was fleeting, and she, a woman who still held her head high, could never fully escape the idea that she could have proven herself to be something more.

So, after a long while, Murasaki returned to the Soul Society. She had trained extensively in her time away, and upon her return, she requested an audience with Captain Commander Suika Ibiki of what was now called the Gotei United. A request was put forward; that she be allowed to become a Captain. It was granted, and the 7th Division, the Earth Affiliation Division, was formed. Her time as Captain of the 7th was one marked by conflict, in which she fought in countless conflicts for the sake of both the Soul Society and Earth. Disasters in China, the cataclysmic Hollow invasion of Las Vegas, and of course, the 4th World War. There was no matter she left to her subordinates; Murasaki believed in hands-on effort for every problem that arose. But as time passed, and leadership continued to change, Murasaki suddenly found herself in a position she had long sought, and yet had never fully expected to attain;

Captain Commander Kagayaku no Murasaki had taken the lead of the Gotei.

She sought peace in her time as a leader, and worked diligently to better relations with the world of the living. In many ways, she believed earnestly in a brighter future, but at the same time, she couldn’t deny that stepping back, becoming a distant leader who relied on others, left her feeling somewhat antsy, empty even. The wanderlust that had once filled her bones was once again present, but perhaps it was not so simple. Murasaki had always wished to improve herself; to grow, to sharpen her edge. Doing so could never happen if she sat idly by.

Whatever decisions she might have made, however, were ultimately rendered meaningless, for the decision was made for her in the end. Kisuke Urahara, a man she had trusted and made her Captain, betrayed her, and trapped her away long enough for Soul Society to be obliterated. Within a day, what she had worked for was usurped by the order of Central 46, and by the time she returned weeks later, others had already taken her place. It was of little consequence to her, however; she had grown to understand, in time, that her pride in herself was of far more value than anything that could be placed on her by others. The title of Captain Commander, the approval of the Soul Society, all of it was worthless to her.

As of now, Kagayaku no Murasaki leads the Hisoudan, a loose band of shinigami who live on Earth, and do not associate themselves with the Soul Society. She believes that life among the living, that pursuit of her own betterment, is a path that she can follow into eternity.


○ Shouchidaishi (沼地乃紫): This is not something that Murasaki possesses, but something that she is. A woman who was once an asauchi has bonded so sufficiently with Alastor Demaris that she has become “his” zanpakuto, reflected in her change in appearance just as any other zanpakuto would experience. Because of this, Murasaki may, in theory, share use of her own zanpakuto to Alastor Demaris, though his ability to utilize it would be built upon his own skill rather than Murasaki’s. She is additionally capable of communicating with him without need for words, and can effortlessly enter his Inner World if she so desires.

Beyond this, however, is the nature of having been imprinted upon, the innate abilities of her “wielder” bleeding into her own capabilities if she wishes. While she and her own zanpakuto are aligned on the principle of “nothing,” Murasaki is capable of shifting the expression of any of her zanjutsu techniques or releases into that of “flames” if she wishes. This does not necessarily allow her wholly new abilities, but rather alters any of her already-present abilities. However, abilities which “erase to nothing” may now “burn into nothing,” and even her shikokai, a typically serene field, may become nothing but a blazing inferno.

○ Daibutsu Gokonryuu (大仏御建流, “Construction of the Great Buddha Style”): A style of swordsmanship which is fundamentally built on Murasaki’s nature as a “sword” herself, this style lacks a true core stance or form. As Murasaki’s sword is an extension of herself, she is capable of treating its use as nothing more than an extension of her thoughts and intention, and she can adapt her approach to combat as much as is necessary for any opponent. While she has myriad sword techniques that would defy any conventional understanding of what is possible, she simply sees them as one more extension of her connection to the blade itself, one more expression of her nature as the Buddha of Swords.

• Senzai Issen (千載一遇, “Once in a Lifetime Killing Stroke”): A technique of hoho and swordplay in equal measure, this was once the crown jewel in Murasaki’s personally-developed techniques. Now, however, it is simply one of countless tools she utilizes in any fight. While the release of 1000 sword slashes in a single moment is, in itself, a trivial feat for someone of her caliber, this technique times all 1000 precisely with a flash step, allowing her to strike at unthinkable speeds without even needing to remain close to her opponent.
  
• Kochuu Kyokiri (虛宙虚切, “Empty Space Void-Cutter”): A technique which might be called “torturous” in its extremity, many might call Kochuu Kyokiri the apex of Murasaki’s skill, though she herself simply considers it to be the most eye-catching. By unleashing countless strikes in a mere fraction of a moment, Murasaki cuts not only her opponent, but the very air surrounding them, creating a vacuum that lacks even air. For the briefest moment, one is exposed to that agonizing environment, before the vacuum then immediately collapses in an extreme pressurized moment.
  
• Daisetsuzan: Oroshi (諦切斬・疎思, "Truth Cutting Slash: Unfinished Thought"): An attack that is pure in every sense, an offense which exists for no purpose but to kill an opponent before they can even fathom that they are in danger. Rather than focusing on delivering a deluge of slashes in an instant, Murasaki instead refines that technique into one singular strike, one which would demand such awareness of the battlefield and of their own sword that she doubts anyone besides herself could utilize it to the fullest. Delivered at her full strength and at speeds so unthinkable that even Murasaki would lose sight of it, the Daisetsuzan: Oroshi lacks anything in flash or excitement. Indeed, to the average onlooker, it would seem as though Murasaki had done nothing at all, but that her opponent had simply been cut apart.

○ Houtou (宝塔, "Treasure Tower"): Absolute clarity of mind, awareness of the self beyond even the world, this is something that few could ever hope to achieve. Murasaki, however, has gained such self-awareness of her own nature as a sword that it allows her to cut herself away from the world itself; at the same token, however, she is capable of maintaining her own presence of mind so completely that her presence is maintained. She no longer needs to do this for set measures of time, no longer needs to seal away her own emotions to do so as she once did; Houtou is simply a state of being that she may enter as necessary, for even the shortest moments of a single technique, or for great spans of time. Because Houtou is a total cutting off of oneself from the world, however, Murasaki’s spiritual pressure and exertions are completely nullified; any ability which would extend past her own body is simply impossible.

In spite of this unthinkable feat of focus and self-clarity, Murasaki herself believes that there is still much further development possible for this state of being. At this time, she has refined only the following techniques:

• Kin (金, "Gold"): The first, and most straightforward of the techniques which utilize Houtou, Kin relies on nothing more or less than the weaponization of Houtou itself. As Murasaki and her zanpakuto are the same entity, she may effortlessly bring her blade into the state of Houtou, as well, and deliver a single cut which utilizes that nature. Because it is in a state of “non-existence” and “existence,” it is a cut which strikes at the most fundamental. While the strike can be defended against by way of external barriers, evasion, and other such means, the moment that Murasaki’s blade makes contact with something, it is simply “cut.” This is not because Murasaki’s blade has cut it; rather, the target’s own existence has become one which is “cut.” Depending on the focus with which Murasaki utilizes this technique, and the target in question, this can vary in effect, but while some things may simply be split in two, or slashed as if their defense was inconsequential, other things may simply be obliterated as their very nature is “cut” away.
  
• Gin (銀, "Silver"): As the self is actualized into completion, so too can that which unmakes the self be undone. Put simply, so long as Murasaki is not under the pressure of serious combat or other similar stressors, she is capable of simply returning her body to its ideal form. This does not rejuvenate her spiritual reserves, but removes any injuries from her body. Because of this, there is no typical injury which will last any length of time on her body.
  
• Ruri (琉璃, "Lapis Lazuli"): A technique which utilizes the weaponization and externalization of Houtou for the sake of more beneficient means, Ruri is a cut which is capable of momentarily “cutting away” the sin and regret of any entity. In many, this means that it simply leads to a momentary lapse in concentration at most; however, against Arrancar, this technique is a much more grievous strike, attacking them at the core of their being. Against base Hollows, the strike can be even more damning; an instantaneous cleansing, which allows reincarnation without fail.
  
• Hari (頗梨, "Quartz"): An ability of absolute cutting off, and of absolute self-affirmation. Hari, put simply, allows Murasaki to simply cease to exist completely for the briefest of moments, and to continue to exist anywhere, in any of the realms, so long as she is suitably familiar with the location. Due to this relying on her own mental image of a location, however, and of the moment of complete non-existence, Murasaki must still take some time to reaffirm her sense of self before she can do anything else after using this technique. Because of this, it is best used as an emergency escape measure, or in cases where she has no other option.

○ Hoho: Murasaki is exceptionally well-practiced in the art of hoho, footwork being paramount in the art of the sword. As such, many of her techniques are designed for the sake of combat first and foremost, whether that be offensive steps that maintain her approach, or defensive steps that are tight and optimized to not lose ground.

• Hisenbu (飛泉分, "Waterfall Partition"): A step designed for offensive misdirection, rather than purely to overwhelm, Hisenbu is a step technique that begins by creation of four afterimages, all of which leap vertically into the air before performing a seeming simultaneous shunpo. Upon arriving at the intended target, the afterimages once again converge downward, whether this be to misdirect as to where an incoming strike may be, or to genuinely attack from every direction at once.
  
• Manbai Ochiba (万枚落葉, “10,000 Falling Leaves”): A defensive technique, particularly suited to attackers who utilize the high ground, Manbai Ochiba involves myriad steps in a tight formation, but one which aims to be nearly random in nature. These afterimages are meant only for the purpose of misdirection, but because of the flickered nature of the movement, and the focus only on evasion, they are much harder to detect than more elaborate usages of afterimages might be. Because an attacker from above must rely on strikes which are more precise, this defense prevents significant ability to aim a proper attack.

○ Kido: Despite her nature as a swordmaster above all else, Murasaki is not remotely so foolish as to simply ignore the value of the Demon Arts in any shinigami’s arsenal. While far from the greatest masters of the craft, she has nevertheless pursued it to a level that she believed was suitable for someone who intended to surpass even the greatest shinigami in history. She has created multiple personal spells which are designed to best meet her needs as a combatant, and while she understands the principles behind the art of saisenko, she has yet to properly pursue it, instead content on the much less exhausting principle of simply utilizing kido through her zanpakuto.

• Shoushu (焦珠, "Scorching Pearl"): A Hadō which is, put plainly, a condensed Shakkaho. Reduced in size to less than a centimeter in diameter, the spell nevertheless retains the same destructive force. Typically, Murasaki utilizes these to fire off multiple at once with a single sword slash.
  
• Rengezou (蓮華蔵, "Lotus Flower Entrails"): A Hadō modified from the basic premise of the Zangerin, Rengezou is more tightly controlled, and is designed to be utilized alongside other sword techniques. The chief difference between Rengezou and Zangerin is the shape; while the Zangerin takes the form of a ring around the user, the Rengezou is tightened into a single arc of approximately 120 degrees. Mass application of this Hadō alongside swift slashes, while technically possible, are an exhausting and spiritually draining endeavor; the spell is designed to turn an already intense attack into one with even greater destructive power.
  
• Tokouji (屠荒地, "Killing Wasteland"): A barrier kido designed for the purposes of training one’s body, as well as for duels of a purely physical nature, this spell creates an arena in which any reishi in the area is rapidly expelled into the area outside of the barrier. In effect, it is a spiritual “empty zone,” one which will even influence spiritual exertions made within the area such as kido. However, this spell takes quite some time to put together, and as such is something that can in no circumstance be cast in combat.

○ Hakuda: As a master of swordsmanship, one would imagine that Murasaki has forsaken hand to hand combat. However, this would be incorrect. The reason for this is simple; Murasaki herself, being “a sword,” is capable of wielding her own form in much the same way as her zanpakuto. This mastery culminates in her personal expression of the art, Kuujinmanshu, a unification of zanjutsu and hakuda that only she is capable of.

○ Kuujinmanshu (空刃満手, “empty blade, full hand”): Kuujinmanshu is an extremely personalized martial art, and while it is descended from hakuda, Murasaki does not call it such, instead referring to it as “zanjutsu without a zanpakuto.” When Murasaki uses Kuujinmanshu, her body becomes her zanpakuto in the most physical of senses. A strike with her hand is not only capable of inflicting every bit as deep a cut as her zanpakuto, but she is capable of utilizing her zanpakuto’s releases simply through her body. Additionally, Murasaki is able to instinctively convert any of her zanjutsu techniques into Kuujinmanshu, and when Kuujinmanshu is active, her body can clash with another blade no differently than her sword might. Despite the versatility of this advanced development, however, Murasaki is a swordswoman through and through. While Kuujinmanshu translates her techniques and abilities, it simply cannot translate actual skill, and so this is primarily used only when Murasaki is unable to use her zanpakuto for one reason or another.


○ Zanpakuto Name: Kiaishi (輝乃紫, "Shining Purple")

○ Zanpakuto Spirit Appearance: Murasaki is her own zanpakuto spirit.

○ Inner World:


○ Zanpakuto Appearance:


○ Sealed Zanpakuto Power: Kiaishi’s ability is dominion over “nothingness.” It is a blade which has been reduced down to its most fundamental, and its closest comparison is an asauchi, for when a blade has nothing it has the potential for anything. In some ways it is a facsimile of her former zanpakuto Keifu, but that was only a sliver of her own power, limited by its focus through a secondary zanpakuto. As all things ancestry can be traced, it is inevitable that all things will be traced back to nothing.

Being that the blade is an extension of herself, Murasaki's zanpakuto is significantly more resistant to sealing or alteration than most others. Alteration of the zanpakuto is only accomplishable if one also has the degree of skill and sheer power to directly alter Murasaki's own being. Kiaishi accomplishes this by its former ability of tracing. It traces the history of itself, and by extension Murasaki, to validate itself. As long as Kiaishi exists, Murasaki will also exist, and vice versa. Should the blade be destroyed or lost, Murasaki can simply recreate it effortlessly in her hand. Similarly, if Murasaki is killed, but Kiaishi remains intact, simply speaking her name while holding the blade will return her to life.



○ Shikai Release Phrase: "Cut, Kiaishi." (切れ, 輝乃紫. “Kire, Kiaishi.”)

○ Shikai Appearance: Kiaishi’s released form is visually indistinct from its sealed form.

○ Shikai Abilities:

» Hasshoudou (八傷動, "Eight Wounding Motions"): While in shikai, Murasaki is capable of projecting up to eight “images” of herself anywhere that she is currently aware of. This “image” is identical to Murasaki in its abilities, but because it is only an “image,” rather than an actual real thing, it will cease to exist as soon as it is touched, so any attack will immediately destroy the image. This includes attacks made by the images themselves toward an opponent, though their singular strike will still land as a very real attack. Techniques which are swift enough to cause multiple wounds simultaneously (such as Senmaioroshi) will make the full scope of their attack, but any followup attacks or techniques are thoroughly impossible. Murasaki can only manifest a maximum of 8 of these images at any given time. While she has no limit on how many images she can make per thread, she can only form 8 per post.

» Gozan Jissetsu (五斬十殺, "Five Beheadings, Ten Killings"): Should Murasaki wish, rather than externalizing “images” of herself with Hasshoudou, she may instead manifest images of an attack that she has already made. So long as she has not utilized any “images” from Hasshoudou in a post, Murasaki may instead replicate “images” of an attack she has already made. These "images" may be of any attack that she has utilized up to one post prior to utilizing this technique, including an attack she is currently utilizing. Because these are images of a single attack, rather than of her entire self, the number of “images” she can manifest increases dramatically. Any attack she makes may be replicated 15 times upon the opponent. These 15 “images” do not necessarily need to be attached to the same attack, but if they are split between attacks, she still may only utilize 15 “images” per post.



○ Bankai Name: Kikeiren Shisatsujin (輝系連 紫薩刃, "Shining Ancestral Purple Buddha Edge")

○ Bankai Appearance: Upon releasing bankai, the edge of Murasaki’s blade, following the pattern of its hamon, disappears.

○ Bankai Abilities: Despite the edge having disappeared from Murasaki’s blade, its cutting power remains every bit as deadly as before. Anything cut by this sword is not simply damaged, but rather becomes “nothing.” This does not negate defensive abilities or outright delete objects on impact, of course, but it simply means that any wounds or damage inflicted by Kikeiren Shisatsujin must be completely remade by external means, rather than simply put back together.

» Sanzen Daisen Sekai (三千大斬世界, "3000 Killing Realms''): The true ability of Murasaki’s bankai, and the expression of its nature of “nothing,” as well as the result of her sheer mastery over zanjutsu and herself. Because of her versatility and her mastery, Kikeiren Shisatsujin is an extremely versatile bankai, one which can express an untold myriad of techniques all revolving around “nothing.” Some are listed below, but because of the nature of this bankai, others can and will be utilized at her discretion.

» Hisou Hihisou (非想非非想, “Neither Thought Nor No Thought”): Upon being struck by this technique, both Murasaki and her opponent are seamlessly brought into a vision of their battle continuing. This vision will not end until one of them dies, at which point the vision ends, with no time having passed outside of this vision. Upon this vision’s completion, both Murasaki and her opponent remember everything that occurred during it. Additionally, because this battle has occurred within an imagined moment, rather than in the real world, the state of any cooldowns, releases, etc. are reverted to where they were at the time this strike was made.

» Himei (非命, “No Lifetime”): This technique is one of extreme brutality from a psychological standpoint. When this technique is active, every blow becomes a “killing blow.” This does not mean that Murasaki simply kills whoever is struck by it, however; rather, those struck by it perceive it as a wound which “has certainly killed them.” This shock may impact individual characters differently, but it is generally a traumatic experience, particularly if struck multiple times by these “killing blows.”

» Hisuigen (非水源, "No Fountainhead"): Focusing her reiatsu into her blade before releasing it in front of her in a direct line, Murasaki unleashes a wave of extreme destructive force. This force devastates anything within its path, and all matter, whether reishi or kishi, is reduced to nothing. Any individual killed by this technique has no chance of being reincarnated due to the absolute nature of its erasure. While lethal in its own right to those who do not have enough power to resist the attack, the consequences of this technique leaves a vacuum in its wake for one post after this move is used. Due to the extreme focus involved, Murasaki may not utilize this technique more than once per post.



○ Shikōkai Name: Renha Kessougen (鏈破 血草原, "Chain-Breaking Ancestral Steppe")

○ Shikōkai Appearance: Upon releasing Renha Kessougen, Murasaki's zanpakuto returns to its typical appearance, the blade reverting to the same shape as it carries prior to shikai or bankai. However, the area surrounding Murasaki, to a point beyond the horizon, becomes a serene, windswept plain, with blue skies and long green grass.

○ Shikōkai Ability: The steppe manifested by Renha Kessougen's release is, quite plainly, not a purely visual change. Rather, it is the expression of this release, and the whole of the area, be it the skies overhead, the ground below, even the air, is the release. It should be noted that this area is centered around Murasaki, and moves alongside her, rather than being anchored in the point of release. Those who are caught in this shikokai will have unfathomably less access to spiritual energy for the sake of manipulation, as all of it within that space is not simply under Murasaki's control, but is quite literally a part of her in itself. The pressure of Murasaki’s very existence is all-encompassing within this area, and it is not out of the question for her to simply snuff out lesser attacks before they can even begin.

Because of this extreme expression of the self, Murasaki is aware of every occurrence, no matter how great or small, whether spiritual or mundane, within the area of her shikokai. Even the slightest twitch of one's muscle, the smallest and most inconsequential spiritual exertion, will be crystal clear to Murasaki.

Any structure, land formation, or other inanimate object in the area when Renha Kessougen is released is not simply destroyed, but rather "overwritten" by this release, When the release ends, or if Murasaki moves enough that the area is no longer under its effects, any formations which were removed simply reappear no worse for wear, as if they had always been there. Of course, those inside said structures are not so lucky, and may find that they simply reappear inside of a solid object. Because of this, Renha Kessougen is a release of absolute last resort, which can cause extreme damage in any area where it is released.




General Skills

• Durability:
  
• General Speed:
  
• Strength:
  
• Soul:
  

Shinigami Skills

• Hoho:
  
• Kido:
  
• Zanjutsu:
  
• Hakuda:
  

Will Skills

• Willpower:
  
• Mental Deduction:
  
• Focus:
  

It's a new application for a character who hasn't seen a major application update in years. She needed it really bad and I cleared out a lot of stuff that's basically irrelevant, added things that are relevant, generally cleaned up her thematics and overall tried to make her a much tighter character, as well as reflecting her significant growth over time. Obviously I am more than happy to discuss any issues in the grading and whatnot, clarify things that need clarifying.

Previous application is here.


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