Hateshikouen
From Inga no Kusari wiki
Hateshikouen (Lord of the Divine Flame) is Tsuya Soikotsu's Zanpakutō.
Hateshikouen is similar to other zanpakutō except its hilt. The grip of the hilt is a deep red color and wrapped in ebony black cloth. It has a thick, circular guard matching the color of the cloth with four large red spikes poking out of it evenly and four smaller spikes of the same color sitting between the larger ones. The pommel is a crimson red and acts more like a cover for the end of the grip rather than a counterweight. Attach to the pommel are two long black strands of material; they serve no purpose other than to add to the design. It sits inside of an ebony black scabbard with a thin segmented red chain attached to it that usually straps across Tsuya's right shoulder to allow the sword to rest at his left hip.
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Spirit Description
Hateshikouen‘s materialized spirit is a massive serpentine dragon. Though it has no limbs to speak of, two gigantic wings sit upon its shoulders. Its body is covered in crimson red scales that give off a radiant glow that seems to envelope it entirely and golden eyes devoid of irises. Whenever it speaks, golden flames flicker within its mouth.
Shikai
Release Command: Engulf their unworthy souls, Hateshikouen!
The only visual difference between Hateshikouen pre-release and Hateshikouen post-release is in the blade itself, which becomes ignited in celestial golden flames.
Shikai Abilities
Hateshikouen's abilities all lie within a series of judgments. Each verdict is more intense than the last and are used as a punishing sentence on the user's enemies.
Handanryoku no Kan (First Judgment) - The user gathers reiatsu into the blade of Hateshikouen before releasing it in the form of an arc of celestial fire. The fiery crescent can travel for up to fifty yards, progressively growing weaker around the forty mark. The strength of Handanryoku no Kan is equal to the user's current Kidō level, but never weaker than the first tier.
Handanryoku no Niban (Second Judgment) - The user produces three orbs of celestial flames that hone in on an enemy and explode on contact. The orbs of Handanryoku no Niban locks on to an enemy's spiritual signature and will follow them until it has made contact with something. They can also lock onto individual targets instead of being grouped to one opponent. The explosions are fairly weak individually, but all three orbs together can cause some significant damage. The strength of Handanryoku no Niban is equal to the user's current Kidō level, but never weaker than the first tier.
Handanryoku no Sanban (Third Judgment) - Hateshikouen is stabbed into the ground and a massive pillar of celestial flames erupts from the ground to consume its target(s). The radius of the pillar is five yards from the target all around. The pillar has no true maximum height, but it is unable to travel pass the atmosphere of the earth. Handanryoku no Sanban can be used on individual targets within fifty yards of the user, or to incinerate anyone five yards or closer. In terms of the secondary option, Handanryoku no Sanban surrounds Tsuya with the pillar of fiery reiatsu, but does not damage him. The strength of Handanryoku no Sanban is equal to the user's current Kidō level, but never weaker than the first tier.
Strengths
Unlimited Potential - Hateshikouen is a powerful zanpakutō that relies heavily on the strength and skill of its master. It grows with the user and, in this sense, has the potential to become incredibly strong.
Jack Of All Trades - It pays to be versatile in combat and Hateshikouen emphasizes this perfectly. Hateshikouen’s three abilities allow it to be both a close-range and long-distance weapon.
Weaknesses
Fancy A Swim? - Hateshikouen is a fire-based elemental zanpakutō; it is extremely weak against water-based kidō and/or water-based elemental zanpakutō.
No Drain, No Gain - Hateshikouen’s three abilities are extremely powerful and require a great deal of reiatsu to use. Constant activation of these abilities will drain Tsuya’s reiatsu dry and threaten to consume his spirit. He is limited to using one ability every two posts at his current level.
Shuffle And Repeat - While Hateshikouen’s abilities are potentially dangerous and even lethal, once an opponent has seen all three, they have seen all Hateshikouen’s Shikai has to offer. A smart adversary can predict how to counter which abilities and even anticipate when certain powers are going to be used depending on the situation.
