Zenchiku Ishikawa
From Inga no Kusari wiki
| Ishikawa, Zenchiku ♂ | |
|---|---|
 Unseated, 8th Division | |
| Date of Birth | 7th March, 1849 (163) |
| Place of Birth | Kyoto, Japan |
| Zanpakutō | Ikkatsu |
| Player | Zenchiku |
| Shinigami | |
Contents |
Appearance
Personality
Zenchiku can easily be summed up as a quiet, well-mannered loner by those who don't really know him all that well. While he prefers to spend most of his time by himself where he can daydream in peace, often found staring up at the sky when he isn't skulking around watching other Shinigami and the residents of the Rukongai as he observes their interactions. Initially appearing to be shy and reserved upon first meetings, he's quick to open up to those he spends time with revealing himself to be relaxed and cheerful to a fault - which can become taxing on the nerves of those unfamiliar with his ever optimistic, sunny attitude. Some of his more defining attributes are his loyalty and sense of honor, going to great lengths to uphold what he believes to be the highest standards of what a Shinigami is.
History
At a time of great upheavel in the country as the Edo period was nearing its end, Zenchiku was born to a relatively low-class clan serving the Tokugawa shogunate as retainers for much of their history. He was taught from the age he was young to serve their feudal lords as though the continued survival of the clan depended on it, bringing on a deep sense of respect and loyalty for the samurai who at that time acted as the political power of the Imperial court. The majority of the years that passed were spent watching and studying the samurai warriors, wanting more than anything to become like there were, but knowing it was something that could never happen.
When the Chōshū rebellion came to Kyoto the Ishikawa clan lost their homes and most of their possessions, reducing their status and influence among the other clans and leaving them as little more than peasants protected by the Tokugawa as their own power began to wane when an alliance of southern Samurai clans began to seize control of the Imperial court, seeking to return political power to the Emperor. On the arrival of the civil war between the Tokugawa and the Imperial forces lead by the opposing Samurai clans, Zenchiku did one of the only things left to him that would help support his family who were now without a means to live - he willingly consigned himself to fight for the Tokugawa shogunate. Despite living his entire life among the ruling class of Samurai, it did very little to prepare him for what open war would actually be like and he struggled to learn the skills needed to survive, managing to keep his life through a number of battles simply on blind luck alone. In one of last battles that would mark the official end of the Edo period the Tokugawa forces were overwhelmed by the combined strengths of the Chōshū and Satsuma clans, resulting in Zenchiku's death just two months prior to his twentieth birthday.
Because of the high number of deaths resulting from the civil war a number of Hollows and Shinigami both converged on the battle fields to wage their own war against each other; the Hollows drawn to the feast of the newly dead spirits and the Shinigami sent to protect them. Zenchiku found himself beset on all sides by hideous monsters and black-clad warriors laying siege to one another, the sight of it sent him fleeing blindly away from the battle where he would have found his final demise if one of the Shinigami hadn't interviened and destroyed the Hollow that was preparing to kill the wayward spirit. Before he could speak his thanks to his savior, the end of a sword handle was placed against his forehead, sending him quickly to the Soul Society. He arrived in the fourteenth district of the Rukongai where he lived for over a hundred years among the people there where he developed the bonds of a new family with several of them, though never forgetting the one he had known previously. Many of his memories have faded over the centuries he lived out his new life in the Rukongai but he still kept hold of his name and the ideals he aspired to live up to previously - and he clearly remembers the Shinigami who saved him after his death, although he has yet to see them a second time.
After a century passed of living in the Rukongai he began to feel the subtle stirring of spiritual power as it brought with it the onset of hunger as a sign he could actually become something more among the Soul Society. It was at least another twenty years before he was taken to the academy where he could begin his training as a Shinigami. His progression in his skills was slow, but steady, and while others surpassed him in individual fields he persevered to become better in all things rather than focus on one thing. He preferred the notion of being good at all of them instead of just great at one of them; as he studied and trained he found he had a small aptitude for them all. It took him nearly twice as long to graduate from the academy as it did the friends he had made, leaving him to train with younger students who continued to progress in certain aspects quicker than he did. Watching the other students excel only fueled his own resolve to further himself, knowing that one day all his effort would amount to something and he would finally be able to live out his ideal of being a Shinigami. Upon his eventual graduation from the academy he was placed within the Eighth reserve Division where his personal training ethic would serve the Seireitei to the fullest of his potential.
Combat
Strengths
Balanced: Zenchiku is strong, fast and enduring - but he isn't the strongest, or the fastest, or the hardest to kill. He strives to encompass all these things at an equal level in his training rather than focus on a single path to power, ensuring he will always have a wide array of abilities at his disposal. He trains so that he can fight equally well with sword, fist and kidō.
Bond of Duty: His belief in what the Shinigami stand for and their purpose to the world is nigh unshakable and few things can interfere with his devotion to duty. Zenchiku is very stubborn when it comes to upholding his personal honor - whether that be fighting an opponent in a fair manner or throwing himself infront of an enemies attack to save another. When it comes down to acting as he thinks a Shinigami should he is both stalwart and unflinching.
Weaknesses
Unfocused: Because Zenchiku chooses to take the long road to getting stronger, his skills will suffer as he tries to keep them balanced. None of them will progress beyond the others very far before he starts to concentrate his efforts to bring them up as well. While he may eventually become a powerful fighter, it will take him longer than it will for most everybody else, leaving him to be average (at best) for a long time.
Intolerance: Because of his own high ideals he often finds himself begrudging others who act in less than honorable ways; betrayal, undue cruelty, and simply mistreating those who have sworn to serve you are quick ways to earn his contempt and anger. Those shrewd enough to figure out what can push his buttons can easily make use of it to cloud his judgement.
| |||||
