Deviation Actions
Literature Text
Bankai Name: Naguru no Chouchou Ken, Hansha Mirā ga Hason (Butterfly of the Clashing Swords, the Broken Mirror of Self-Reflection)
Bankai Appearance: Like Ayano's Shikai state, the Bankai form of her Zanpakutō is released on a situation-by-situation basis, judged by how necessary she believes its use to be. To the outside world, where its form is somewhat of a common topic (thanks in no small part to its use in public sparring matches against Seisui Naito), there is always an open desire to see it utilized as quickly and as often as possible. This widely expressed wish is due to its status as the 'most beautiful Bankai in Soul Society', a title which Ayano herself has mixed feelings about, given the fact that her face can be seen once it has been activated. Despite the occasional protest or blush from the Captain, the rumors of its vivid appearance have spread far from their home in the Seireitei, and the stories of its glory have drawn in larger and larger Rukongai-born crowds to witness its potential release at the bi-weekly sparring matches held on the 11th Division grounds—tickets to which cost a sizable donation to the Rukongai Relief Fund.
To begin the transformation, which requires far more ritual and power than the simple Shikai release, Ayano clears the area around her and takes to the air. She prefers to do this with a flourish of her blades or an explosion from the orbs within their tips. However, should she be forced to retreat using Shunpo, she will, and the Captain is not above releasing a tremendous amount of spiritual power to slow opponents in their pursuit. Once she has ample room, the Butterfly flips her Zanpakutō into the air. In the short window of time when her weapons spin above her, she slips off her hood and discards her haori, which would be vaporized due to the nature of her Bankai. It is a sign that she has chosen to transform her weapons, and viewing her beauty is commonly seen as both a gift and a curse. She then catches the two Zanpakutō so that the blades point towards the ground instead of in front of her. The Butterfly then brings the weapons behind her and touches their pommels against one another, just below the small of her back. She states:
"Bankai."
Brilliant waves of crimson energy spill forth from Ayano in all directions, pouring a suffocating amount of power over anyone who happens to be nearby. Although most Captains would find themselves capable of holding their ground within this impressive display of potency, almost all Lieutenants would find themselves struggling to stand, and those weaker than that risk being ripped apart by the force of the spiritual energy. Two mammoth, twisting wings of blue and red Reiatsu bloom from the waves where Ayano's hidden body once stood, reaching nearly fifty feet in diameter before dissipating into the atmosphere.
When the flow of energy ceases and Ayano becomes visible once again, the final form of her Zanpakutō—the most beautiful Bankai is Soul Society—is plainly visible. Without her haori to veil her hair and face in shadow, the Jewel's brilliantly colored eyes and stunning hair are free to strike at the hearts of those still around to view her. Under most circumstances, this open expression of her looks would be enough to cripple Ayano and send her into a state of self-loathing, depression, and uncertainty. However, once Bankai has been released, her mind becomes absolutely occupied with the task at hand. She becomes a floating, living embodiment of Zanjutsu, allowing her to compartmentalize her psychological condition until the battle is over, after which she invariably scoops up her haori and quickly tends to her wounded psyche.
The upper-half of the Shinigami uniform, which is stripped away from her torso during the transformation, is replaced by an elegant golden breastplate that curves delicately around her chest. This ornate design is an expression of her Zanpakutō spirit, which protects her heart and body, encasing them in armor to protect the only part of her that remains fragile. A matching golden choker adorned with three brilliantly cut rubies is clasped around her slender neck, attached to the breastplate by two strings of pearls. Although this part offers little protection, taking up only a small portion of her throat, it manages to add to the regal beauty of her Bankai state.
The most apparent, stunning, and fearsome change to Ayano's Zanpakutō takes the form of sixteen swords that float in a set pattern behind her back, eight on each side, mimicking the wings of a butterfly. Although different, with deadly curved edges and no tassels, the general shape and size of these blades does not drastically change from Shikai to Bankai. The blue and red colored orbs and grips remain, set in an alternating pattern within the 'wings' that create a mixing of colors and a beautiful contrast. The orbs seem to appear like eyespots on the wings of a butterfly, just like the Zanpakutō spirit which they represent. They watch over the battlefield and await the mental command of the woman to which they are bound, and they are capable of functioning in the same capacity as they did in her Shikai form.
Bankai Abilities:
Organ/Limb Replacement: As one might expect, Ayano generally dives straight into close combat as soon as she is able, taking hold of one or two of the swords on her back, mentally detaching them from their place, and using them in the same manner as she would her Shikai blades. Against powerful opponents, it is possible that this relish for melee battle can cause her to sustain serious injury—even limb loss. Should this happen, the Butterfly can hold one of her sixteen blades to the site of the wound, touching any part of the weapon to its surface. Each of the Zanpakutō is composed of a tremendous amount of spiritual energy, and by using her close attunement to Shōtotsu Ken no Chō, she can transfer the power into her own body, rapidly replacing the lost flesh at an incredible speed as the blade itself molds to take its place. This technique can replace entire limbs, organs, and sections of muscle tissue within seconds, allowing Ayano to continue fighting when it would have otherwise been impossible. It takes a whole blade as sacrifice no matter the gravity of the wound, and the new tissue functions as if it were her own flesh and blood. The last two swords, whichever they might be, cannot be used for this ability as they are the 'true' blades of her Bankai.
Kemushi (Caterpillar): With the transformation into Bankai comes an incredible increase of functionality to the orbs within Ayano's blades. No longer does she have to concentrate to reform them or launch them from their place, increasing their potential rate of fire drastically. In addition, the newly tapped resource of energy allows her to access over twenty thousand orbs as ammunition, ten times the amount she was capable of producing in her Shikai state. The Kemushi is the ultimate expression of these functional changes. It begins by launching dozens of orbs from each blade in an instinctual, perfectly timed cascade. As the first orb makes contact with a solid surface, it explodes. The force of that eruption breaks the next closet orb, which continues the chain in a cacophony of crimson and sky-blue bursts of energy that trail like a caterpillar in whatever direction Ayano chooses. Not only does this ability cover a vast area in a staggering, confusing trail of colorful explosions, potentially cornering enemies, it also allows Ayano to create a path of destruction as she moves. By starting the Kemushi chain behind her, launching the orbs backwards instead of forwards, the Butterfly can create a caterpillar-like trail of force that appears to chase her as she moves. This use of the technique makes it incredibly difficult to follow her.
Chō no Shi (Death of a Butterfly): This technique requires that a minimum of four blades remain in Ayano's Bankai, and it is the ultimate expression of her power. It is the only ability that she cannot use in a sparring match, due to a combination of its destructive capability and the damage that it does to her own body, which is completely incapacitated once the technique is launched. By curving the blades on her back inward, as if she were folding her 'wings' around her front, Ayano can aim their orbs towards the center of her chi, which is just a foot away from the middle of her breastplate. She then focuses all of the energy of each Zanpakutō into the orbs that rest in their tips, filling them to absolute capacity and rendering the blades themselves useless and fragile, before launching them towards that single point. The globes shatter as they collide, releasing a torrent of blue and crimson energy. Ayano's chi contains this explosion in front of her, focusing it into a swirling ball that is oddly similar to the beginning state of a Cero. Then, by releasing her hold on her meditative energy, an act that causes her to instantly pass out and enter a coma-like state, Ayano can direct the massive torrent wherever she chooses. The resulting beam is composed of twisting colors of Reiatsu and can completely vaporize an entire city before trailing off. But the most incredible feature of the Chō no Shi is the echo that it leaves behind: specks of floating energy that flutter like colorful butterflies as they dissipate into the atmosphere.
Part 1, which contains general information about the character, can be found here.
Part 2, which contains information about her Zanpakutō and Shikai, can be found here.
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This reference sheet represents the 3rd Division Captain of my non-canon Bleach world. While she may seem overpowered, this particular description is not the one I use in roleplay—the power scales represented in its text are only in relation to the personal stories and the fiction which I write. When roleplaying, I use altered sheets with abilities to scale with the setting, completely devoid of power comparisons.
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Bleach © Kubo Tite
