Approved by Ciroton.

Name: Erika Yu
Age: Looks like a young adult girl between 19 and 21, but is really a few hundred.
Race: Vizard, a Shinigami (literally “Death God” or “Soul Reaper) that has gained Hollow powers.
Shinigami are souls that have gone from the real world to Soul Society (the afterlife), and have an immense amount of spiritual energy. Their high spirit pressure/spirit energy, reiatsu, is what gives them Shinigami powers. After training in and graduating from the Academy, a Shinigami is then placed in a “squad” of one of the 13 Protection Squads. The purpose of a Shinigami is to help departed souls pass on to the next life, and to cleanse the spirits of Hollows (evil spirits that lose their hearts to despair or remain in the human world too long). It is illegal in Soul Society for a Shinigami to gain hollow powers, so Erika keeps hers a secret.
Rank: Captain of the 10th Squad of the Gotei 13.
Gender: Lady.
Hair: Short, in a ponytail, almost a dark purple color. Likes to wear a red bandana to keep the ponytail up, although she uses other methods.
Eyes: Scarlet red. (This is natural, as there have been other Shinigami with cyan colored eyes, as well as other various colors).
Weight: 100 lb.
Height: 5” 3’.
Weapon: Shiva, her Zanpakuto. A Zanpakuto is a Shinigami’s defining asset, as it is generated from the individual’s soul. The name of a Zanpakuto is not chosen by the wielder, as it is a spirit in itself. Once the Shinigami discovers the name of their Zanpakuto, he or she can learn Shikai and eventually Bankai.

Shikai (initial release): When Erika says the phrase “Whisper into the night, Shiva” (its release command) the blade morphs from a regular katana into a circular steel blade, or “chakram.” The blade can then be used as a boomerang or a giant cleaver. A Zanpakuto’s Shikai is much powerful than its unreleased form, giving the user increased strength and speed. However, this also takes up more reiatsu, so it can be draining on a Shinigami if used for too long.

Bankai (final release): The blade twists once more, morphing into what one would call a double helix blade. The sword is able to control the reiatsu around Erika; it can absorb it into her body or she can “throw” it, causing minor or major damage, based on how much she uses. However, when she controls reiatsu, her blade loses its cutting edge, so she can’t attack or defend when using this technique. As with Shikai, using Bankai for too long or too often can be draining on a Shinigami

The blade’s finishing attack, which when used puts her back into her unreleased form, is called “Kara Rasenkai,” meaning empty spiral. Part of the blade unhooks from the hilt, and the sword extends outwards, forming a straight line. The sword then leaves Erika’s hands and proceeds to surround the enemy in a giant “spiral” which then spins around the opponent, cutting them up as the Zanpakuto twists upward. This is a very powerful technique; however it leaves Erika open up for attacks. If she is hurt, the technique is interrupted AND she goes back into her unreleased form. Therefore, she only uses this when the enemy is not able to move.

Inventory: (credit goes to Ciroton for letting me borrow the info from Kazuya’s profile)

Communicator (Cell phone): A vital tool for Shinigami in the real world, these devices serve several purposes. The first and foremost use of this device is to lock on the locations of both Hollows and regular spirits. In addition, the communicator can be used to contact Soul Society, the place where people go when they die. Moreover, the phone also stores the number of Hollow “kills” which can then be used as currency in the few shops in the real world that cater to Shinigami. Finally, the communicator can be used as a regular cell phone, including options such as personalized ring tones and music storage.

Gigai: Simply put, a Gigai is an artificial body designed to allow the Shinigami to interact with the human world. Also, they are used to help a Shinigami recover, should they lose most or all of their spirit energy. These are absolutely essential for long missions in the human world.

Gikongan (Artificial Souls): When a Shinigami needs to leave their Gigai they simply ingest a pill that separates them. However, in order to ensure the Gigai is not damaged, an artificial soul occupies it until the Shinigami returns. Each Gikongan has a pre-set personality, ranging from outgoing to shy, and nice to mean. Kazuya’s is more to the shy side, seeing as how it won’t get into trouble that way.

Kikanshinki (Memory Replacement): This device is used whenever a human witness’s a Shinigami battle a Hollow, or affect their surroundings in a significant manner. (Say if half their house was destroyed) When the device is activated a bird’s head appears out of the top and produces a puff of smoke. This erases the human’s memory of the affair, and replaces it with a new, random one. This new memory is dependent on what said human is capable of believing.

Ring of Revelation: A personal invention of Kazuya’s, the Ring of Revelation allows even ordinary humans the temporary ability to see and interact with Hollows or Shinigami when it emits a burst of light as soon as they (The Shinigami) puts it on, or leaves their Gigai. Radical when first invented, many of his peers now carry this diamond ring on them at all times. This was due in part to the massive increase in magical beings in the human world, thus the Shinigami would need to be able to defend themselves should they come into contact with a hostile, magical being.

Armor: None. She’s a spirit after all.
Strengths: Strong-willed, sometimes deemed “arrogant.” She knows how to have fun, and doesn’t let stress or sadness get in the way of her work, or her (after) life in general. She is loyal to her friends, and will fight for them until the end. She is fast and agile, moving with amazing dexterity and flexibility. Her creative mind can often get her out of a pinch, and she takes special care to observe every nuance of her enemy’s fighting ability.
Weaknesses: She is small; she gets knocked down, and sometimes bites off more than she can chew. She is one to hold a grudge, although, to a small extent. She is sometimes overly confident in her fighting ability, often taunting her opponents and “playing” with them, somewhat. This is contradictory to her sometimes scaredy-cat nature. If she is faced by a very powerful opponent or many enemies at the same time, she can feel discouraged or intimidated. This causes her to lose focus and hamper her fighting ability. She is also a bit of a loudmouth, and can be somewhat sarcastic, which gets her into trouble a lot.
Skills/Magic:
Kido: a type of sorcery used by Shinigami, translated as “demon arts.” There are many spells, some of which Erika can do, but she is not skilled at it. Each spell has an incantation, but some Soul Reapers can use Kido without it.

4: White Lightning. Fires a concentrated bolt of lightning from the caster's forefinger.

31: Shot of Red Fire. Fires a ball of red energy at a target.

33: Blue Fire, Crash Down. Fires a burst of blue spiritual energy at a target in a similar manner to 31, but over a wider area and with more power.

Shunpo: Translated as “flash step,” this gives a Shinigami the ability to move fast. It is a movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow. Erika has yet to master it; however, she can use it if she concentrates hard enough. There is also the Shinigami’s ability to walk on air, which is done by forcing solidified spirit particles under their feet.

Vizard powers: As a Vizard, Erika’s speed, strength, and agility are improved while donning her hollow mask. This mask is unique for each Vizard. Erika’s is in the form of a Leopard skull. This is worn like a hat or shield, with the cat’s eyes aligned with Erika’s. When she turns into this form, the whites of her eyes turn black, and the colored parts turn yellow.

Personality: Cheery and fun, yet knows when to be serious. She is loyal to those she trusts and hates those who backstab her. She is one to hold a grudge, although she will forgive you if you are sincere. She knows how to lead and people take after her strength, both emotional and physical. She is confident and stubborn as well.

Appearance: Her scarlet red hair falls gently against her fair, teen-girl face. Her petite figure contradicts her otherwise strong nature. She wears a normal kimono with a white haori that has her Squad’s emblem on the back. When she ignites her Bankai, her hair falls to her shoulders and her outfit changes to more of a black robe. She wears her sword to her side when it is unreleased, and carries it on her back when it is in Shikai or Bankai.

History: Erika died in the world of the living as a child, a result of a fire erupting in her house and incinerating everyone inside. She does not remember much of anything from her human life aside from a single candle at her bedside that had caught the curtains on fire. After her death, her soul stayed behind on earth, wandering around, looking for her family. It was here where she was attacked by a Hollow, and thus saved by a sword wielding being, a Shinigami. The man’s name was Kehouie (Kee-who-aye) Hamagi, a tall man with dark hair. It was him who had performed the Soul Burial and put her spirit to rest. After this, she went to live in Soul Society.

Her life there was not quite the Heaven she had expected. It was no better or worse than the human world. Poverty still existed, people still stole and lied and cheated. There were still different classes, the rich being the snobs they were, and the poor being the lazy freeloaders they were. She lived on the streets, retreating inside herself and becoming an introvert. People in Soul Society did not need food, as they were spirits, so Erika had no need for a job or any way to obtain nourishment. 10 years past, and she was still the same little girl she was when she first came to Soul Society. It was then that she learned that the spirits did not age as fast as they did in the human world. She did not have many friends, and she began to become afraid of the possibility of living the rest of her existence alone as a child forever. This changed, however, when she felt an unfamiliar feeling: hunger.

She searched for weeks, seeking out the food she had not had in ages. Her search failed, and her legs grew weak. Her breathing became heavy, her head dizzy, and she moaned slightly as face met the ground.

She woke up to a smiling face, a familiar face, and one she had not seen in over a decade. It was Kehouei, holding a pear in front of her. He was saying that the reason spirits did not eat food in Soul Society was because of their low spirit energy, and that it was only the Shinigami, who had extraordinarily high spirit energy, that required food. He then told her that she had the possibility to become a Shinigami like himself. She gladly accepted, and enrolled in the Academy the following semester.

Erika trained for years in the Academy, learning all she could of Demon Magic and the way of the sword. After graduating, she was placed in the Tenth Division of the Gotei Thirteen, her captain being Kehouei Hamagi, the same man who saved her from the Hollow and had made her a Soul Reaper. He was like a mentor to her, and even helped her learn the name of her Zanpakuto and achieve Bankai. 300 years passed since she had first come to Soul Society. She was now a well-known face in Soul Society, and had a close bond with her captain. It was on a trip to the real world that everything changed.

***

Blood. Death. Decay.

Erika’s teammates had all been annihilated in the ambush. Their captain ran at the sight of the first Hollow, leaving the rest of the squad for dead. Now she was alone…

Fear and betrayal bit at her heart. She summoned her Bankai, but that was not enough. The Vasto Lorde, the strongest rank of all Hollows, stood before her and attempted to devour her soul. She knelt to the ground, and a hole appeared in her chest. Shades of black covered her eyes and face, and a great Hollow mask covered her head. She was sure she was dead. Until…

She leapt through the darkness and pointed her Zanpakuto at the Vasto Lorde’s heart. She struck at him and ripped off his arm. The Hollow screamed as it crept away, and Erika knew what she had done. She had mastered her inner darkness and become a Vizard.

As soon as she returned to Soul Society, she challenged Kehouei to a duel in front of the Gotei 13 in order to avenge the deaths of her comrades and to punish him for his cowardice. She won the battle, using a slight bit of her Hollow powers to gain an advantage; she used enough so that her eyes became black with yellow circles, but not enough to make her mask appear. She then became the captain of the 10th Squad.

__________________
My Alter-Egos