Bleach Fan Fiction Wiki

Hello and welcome to Bleach Fan Fiction Wiki! If you are here to read fan-created articles, please visit the Reader Guide! To create and edit your own pages, start with the Editor Guide!

READ MORE

Bleach Fan Fiction Wiki
Register
Advertisement
This article, Hotaru Hiroshi, is property of Kenji-Taichō. Permission is required to alter its content. Use of this page's contents is determined by the author of this page, unless otherwise specified.
This article, Hotaru Hiroshi, is part of Bleach: War for the King's Seal, which continues on from the opening segments of the site's former Fanon Canon project. Use of this page's contents is determined by the author of this page, unless otherwise specified.
"My world came into razor-sharp focus. I had suspected, but having it confirmed was another matter altogether. Ino Hiroshi, my mother, was dead. I saw my father concentrate, his forehead furrowing, as an image flooded my mind. Widespread destruction, what people dubbed ‘The Collapse’, ripping through the realms. Ino, broken, saving Arisa, her body a shield. She died defending a daughter who wasn’t even her blood. My father cradled her body. And in the background stood a silhouette, one I was intimately familiar with. Averian. Rage, like liquid fire, lanced me to the bone!"
—Excerpt from Hunger and Greed: Heartfelt Goodbyes, where Hotaru learns that his mother has died, and that Averian was responsible.[src]
Yoshiro Shiba
Kitsuiprofile
Race Soul
Gender Male
Professional Status
Affiliation Hotaru's Witches
Previous Affiliation Ryū Order
Profession Shinigami
Previous Position Dedicated
Previous Partner Akira Shiba
Sakae
Base of Operations Rukongai
Personal Status
Relatives Numerous:
Education Yuengiri Academy
Magical Focus
Magical Specialty Nigendō
Zanpakutō
First Appearance
Story Debut Numerous:
Roleplay Debut Numerous:

Hotaru Hiroshi (ホタル浩, Hiroshi Hotaru), initially known strictly as Yoshiro Shiba before going public with his identity, is a time displaced world-travelling Visored, and the deuteragonist and anti-hero of Bleach: War for the King's Seal.

Hotaru is the son of Kenji and Ino Hiroshi, twin to Akira, and the brother to Shinrei, Arisa, Kentaro and Kay. Hotaru secretly serves his own agenda, whilst masquerading as the 9th Seat of the 9th Division in the Gotei 13, his goal being the acquisition of the Ōin. Hotaru served firstly under Captain Kazuya Kuchiki, followed thereafter by acting-Captain-turned-Captain Shūhei Hisagi.

In his own world Hotaru was a member of his father's Ryū Order, where he served as one of the "Dedicated" (専用, Senyō) during the First Spiritual War waged against Averian; a particularly powerful and ancient Arrancar. He was one of the few to face his father's impostor and not be killed or incapacitated, and even saved his younger siblings from him. During the tumultuous events of The Collapse, Hotaru and Akira where inadvertently affected by the spell cast by their uncle when the latter saved Yori Hisagi and Naoko Izuru, resulting in them being flung into an alternate world. Instead of remaining in the shadows Hotaru sought out distant relatives to the Shiba clan and quietly murdered them, allowing him to assume their identities that eventually allowed him to infiltrate the Gotei 13. This was a course of action Akira strongly disagreed with, but reluctantly went along with, though it served to drive the first of many wedges between the twins.

Hotaru has a singular private goal: to return not only his brother but himself to their own world, and he has few qualms about laying another world to ruin to see his goal achieved. His primary goal is the Ōin, which was identified as one of seven Kyūtai in his own world, which possesses the power he seeks. He put together a group of like-minded individuals, initially ex-Kidō Corps, and is speculated by Van Satonaka to take his orders from Sakae. Van, however, got this the wrong way around: Sakae answers to Hotaru. In addition to commanding his own followers Hotaru directed them to secretly inflame the Evening Primrose cult to serve as a distraction, specifically to distract the 9th Division.

For himself he has adopted Averian's role as a harbinger of chaos, which has also pitted himself against his younger twin. As such he has since adopted the self-styled moniker "Lord of Chaos" (卿の混迷, Kyou no Konmei) which, ironically, was the same name once used by Averian. That said, once he learned the circumstances surrounding the death of his mother, Hotaru cast aside all notion of acquiring the Ōin and resolved to join with his twin and kill Averian.

Appearance[]

As nearly identical twins, Hotaru and Akira share the same basic appearance,[1] with Hotaru being noted to be slightly more broad-shouldered.[2] Additionally, Hotaru is noted to be slightly rougher in his appearance, sporting long hair that falls freely to his back and rough stubble; in fact, it has been said that the two are similar enough that hair length was usually the easiest way to tell them apart.[3]. Hotaru is noted to have Ino's soft features yet the hard eyes of Kenji.[4] Like almost every member of the Ninth Division past and present, Hotaru wears a sleeveless kosode.[5] Ever since travelling to an alternate world, Hotaru has commonly used his Hollow mask as a disguise, which was something Kenji and Van came to suspect but could not prove.[6] He would later fashion for himself a brown poncho, of the kind formerly made by his mother, which has the effect of erasing his reiatsu signature and, when Kidō is applied in a specific way, render him invisible.[7]

Disguises[]

Formlesstlye

Hotaru assuming the physical appearance of Van Satonaka.

When requiring a more long-lasting disguise, Hotaru uses his Zanpakutō to alter his physical appearance through complex illusion rather than relying on his Hollow mask, as shown when he appeared before Michael Davis and Jenna Sheppard. The disguise used in that instance, which took the physical appearance of his world's Van Satonaka, has Hotaru adopt long white-coloured hair tied up in a ponytail, a wiry physique, white kimono and blue haori, and a slight increase in height and muscle. He tends to use the Van disguise when he expects longer battles.[8] Anika Shihōin's use of Shunkō against Hotaru in their brief battle stripped away the illusionary disguise crafted by his Zanpakutō, causing his likeness to become known to the Gotei 13 and Onmitsukidō. Thus far, he hasn't used a disguise since.[9]

Personality[]

According to Ino, the Hiroshi mindset consists of bravery, a pinch of stupidity, and sprinkled with a hearty topping of recklessness.[10] Most of Ino's children exhibited these traits to some degree, and Hotaru was no exception. Furthermore, Kenji described the twins as being as different as night and day, so when Akira was described as the black sheet, Hotaru was thus the quintessential Hiroshi.[1] Like Kenji, Hotaru took a particularly hard-line approach to those who crossed him, though he never played with his enemies the way Kenji tended to, instead going for the throat.[11] This attitude stemmed from his choice of role-model. Rather than mimicking his parents or even Kusaka, Hotaru modelled his behaviour on Van Satonaka, who helped save Akira and he from Hollowfication experiments.[12] He held Van in very high regard, calling him a bloody demon on the battlefield, and even modelled his disguises on Van's physical appearance.[8] Like Van, Hotaru is a hands-on operator. If something threatens to derail his plans, he doesn't hesitate to remove the obstacle. He agonizes over it later, and is quite critical of himself afterwards, but at the end of the day, if something needs to be done he'll see it through.[13] This holds true to his allies as well. When Sakae, having grown increasingly more bloodthirsty and unhinged over time, attempted to betray Hotaru, he silenced her without hesitation. He knew it had to be done to protect the others, and carried out the action personally, even though he'd worked closely with her over a sixteen-year period.[9] The only exception to this rule appears to be Akira himself. And whilst he did attack his twin, he didn't do so with killing intent, instead hoping to scare Akira off.[14]

Hotaru is a rather complex and misunderstood young man. He is devoted to the pursuit of returning Akira and himself to their native world, and has said himself he'll tolerate no one interfering with his plans.[9] Hotaru murdered innocents so that he and his brother could assume their identities,[3] he was said to be cruel by Kenji himself,[1] and he was happy letting the modified Kensei loose on Captain Rose and Lieutenant Hisagi.[15] That said, he genuinely loves his twin. He placed himself in-front of his brother during the violent throes of The Collapse without hesitation, and would likely have died defending him had Meian not intervened.[Notes 1] His devotion to his wider family was also shown when he fought against his father's impostor to save Akira, Kay and his mother.[4] Furthermore, he only stabbed Akira to scare him off, as he too feared a lethal encounter between the two. He hoped afterwards that Akira's pacifism would win out, and he would leave alone.[14]

Although possessing abilities well beyond the norm for someone of his age and experience, Hotaru is not arrogant or egotistical. He is well-aware of his own limits, considers the strengths and weaknesses of his opposition, moves accordingly only after planning and analysing a situation, and weighs the short and long-term implications of his actions.[8] As such, he has remarkable patience, intelligence, and is very good at manipulating people. Many of his plans have the long-term in-mind. By helping to plan the assault that cost Kazuya Kuchiki his life, Hotaru not only destabilized the Gotei 13, but also slipped into the 9th Division to help alleviate their manpower issue.[16] This gave him access to the various reports handed into the 9th Division, and he likewise was able to spy on Captain meetings, likewise showing his skill in stealth.[17] His use of disguises over the years allowed him to discreetly gather information whilst his clones provided him with a concrete alibi that almost completely ensured his appearance of innocence,[6] and his usage of clones and illusion became all-the-more detailed and thorough when Van began to gain evidence.[18]

By his own admission, Hotaru had something of a dysfunctional relationship with his father. It took the death of Ino, Hotaru's mother, to bring father and son together in accord, their past differences forgotten and only their love for one another recognized. The moment Hotaru learned that Averian was responsible for her death, he cast side his personal ambitions and stood firmly in the corner of Akira, declaring that the "Lord of Chaos" needed to die.[19]

History[]

Hotaru and Akira were born mere minutes apart to Kenji and Ino during a lull in the First Spiritual War, with Hotaru as the elder twin. He would eventually become the brother to a sister who was named after Kei Yume.[1] Kenji and Ino spotted early that Hotaru was generally quite cruel, and Hotaru himself was consciously aware of his parent's disappointment in him.[13] As a result, Hotaru generally identified more with his paternal uncles, Meian and Rosuto, leading to him spending a great deal of time in the company of the two men. Hotaru would notably refer to Meian as "the legendary Meian Shiba".[3]

During the early crusades of Oda Kōhai, who was still galvanizing his power in Heisekai, roughly one-hundred Souls of varying power and pedigree were targeted to be experiments in Oda's personal Hollowfication experiments, the goal being the recreation and advancement of Sōsuke Aizen's racial research. Akira was targeted specifically and came under attack by Ichihara Kōhai, but Hotaru came to his brother's defence. Although the twins were defeated, Ichihara was left with a magnificent black eye courtesy of Hotaru, and the twins were subsequently captured. By the time Kenji, Ino, and Van Satonaka tracked them to Hueco Mundo, Oda had concluded his experiments, with most of his test subjects dying off. Only the intervention of Ino allowed the boys to survive, whilst the lab, and any of Oda's scientists, were killed by Kenji and Van. In Hotaru's own words, Kenji and Van removed the lab completely from the map and turned the entire area on which it previously stood into a glass floor.[12]

Van being amongst his rescuers resonated with Hotaru, and he took Van as his role-model, and modelled his own behaviour based on his example.[13][8]

At a different point in the war, Akira, having fought Averian, was left on the verge of death. Hotaru, coming to his twins' defence, unleashed his Bankai for the first time, saving Akira in the process. By his own admission, Hotaru gained widespread recognition as one of the few who fought against Averian and lived.[19]

Synopsis[]

Main articles -- Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi).

Bleach: War of the Worlds[]

Main article -- Bleach: War of the Worlds.

Impostor arc[]

Bleach: Cataclysm[]

Main article -- Bleach: Cataclysm.

Peri-Collapse Events[]

Renascence Beginning[]

Main article -- Renascence Beginning

9th Division Assault arc[]

Blank period arc[]

Evening Primrose arc[]
Investigation arc[]

The New Substitute arc[]

Bleach: War for the King's Seal[]

Main article -- Bleach: War for the King's Seal.

Hunger and Greed arc[]

Equipment[]

Bakkōtō[]

  • Inyū (移入, Ingression): Following the capture of Shinzō, and his subsequent assassination by Xiuying, Hotaru stole Inyū as it was being transported to the barracks of the 12th Division for study.[7] Inyū was described as a sinister-looking curved sword, and when its powers were used, a mass of tendrils coiled up the user's sword arm.[20] Hotaru, alongside Anko Amatsuki, were some of the few people who inherited Kenji's skill at the forge. As such, he was more than capable of modifying Inyū to heighten its power and remove its parasitic qualities.[21] He did this in the time between acquiring it in 2006 and setting into motion his plan to seize the Ōin in 2019.[22] After its modification, Inyū no longer possessed biological components.[9]
Bakkōtō Special Ability: As stated by Van, a Bakkōtō's power increases in proportion to the strength of the person wielding it, as a low-ranking assassin in the employ of the Kasumiōji clan produced notably weaker effects compared to the substantially stronger Hanza using the same weapon.[23][24] This was true in regard to Shinzō and Hotaru, the former being a Lieutenant-class combatant, and the latter a Captain-class combatant. Additionally, Inyū served to heighten the wielder's reiatsu to a certain point.[20] This effect was noticeably more potent in Hotaru's hands.[9]
  • Spatial Manipulation: In Shinzō's hands, Inyū was capable of limited spatial manipulation, allowing him to relocate people, objects, and even attacks.[20] In Hotaru's hands, he was able to use Inyū on himself to escape capture, bypassing Seireitei's own defensive measures in the process, and escape undetected.[7] Inyū played a prominent role in the Theft of Fushichō.[9]
  • Enhanced reiatsu: By feeding Inyū progressively higher quantities of reiatsu, Shinzō was capable of gradually overpowering both Kenji and Rin during their brief battle with him.[20] In Hotaru's hands, the increase provided by Inyū noticeably winded Ayumi, Airi, and Xiuying, with only Sakae shrugging the effects off.[9]

Fushichō[]

  • Fushichō (不死鳥, Phoenix): an artefact, one of seven referred to collectively as "Kyūtai", that was safeguarded by the Shihōin clan in their capacity as guardians of the Hōgu and Bugu, said to have been bestowed upon them by the gods.[25] In reality, they safeguarded Fushichō to help bring an end to a destructive conflict between The Balancers and the Reikon Kyuuban, described by Vlad as an "ancient covenant", until it was stolen by Hotaru in mid-January 2019.[10] Hotaru sought Fushichō as early as 2006 and spent more than a decade planning its theft from the Shihōin vaults.[7] According to Hotaru and Akira, the Kyūtai on a whole hold tremendous destructive potential,[26] though this is gated behind an obscure requirement that must first be met, such as requiring Bankai to wield the Ōin.[27]
Kyūtai Special Ability: Vlad revealed to Myst Kagekyo that Fushichō had once been wielded by The Balancers to ritualistically burn Reikon Kyuuban alive, as a means of 'cleansing' them of their curse. Akira likewise revealed under duress to Myst that Hotaru likely sought Fushichō as a means of nullifying the effects of fire-based Zanpakutō, which Akira possessed.[10]
  • Fire Dominance: Akira speculated that Hotaru sought Fushichō not as a means to combat the Reikon Kyuubam as Vlad and Myst feared, but rather for its ability to grant its wielder complete immunity to flame and heat. This extends to flames and related effects caused by the abilities of Zanpakutō, to the point Akira remarked that Fushichō "neutered his Zanpakutō", itself a potent elemental-type with fire and light-related abilities.[10]
  • Flame Creation: The flames conjured by Fushichō are incredibly potent, for Vlad remarked that the Kyūtai had been used in the past to ritualistically burn Reikon Kyuuban alive for sport, and as a form of 'cleansing'.[10] Only the Sōkyoku, in its Kikōō (燬鷇王, Blaze Fledgling King) form, has come close to the cleaning fire of Fushichō, for the Sōkyoku could emit so much heat that it vaporized the victims Soul.[28][29] As shown by Hotaru's brother Kentaro, who likewise wielded Fuchichō in their native world, the Kyūtai proved superior to the Sōkyoku, which Averian had incorporated into his own Zanpakutō, for Kentaro could completely void its potent flames using it.[30]

Serenity Jewel[]

  • Serenity Jewel: The Serenity Jewel was an heirloom of the Yume Clan native to Hotaru's own world.[31] Following The Collapse, which laid waste much of Hotaru's world, Kei Yume, who served as godfather and namesake to Hotaru's sister, Kay Hiroshi, was sealed inside the Serenity Jewel through unknown circumstances. The Outsider, in an attempt to absorb its power and that of Kei as well, sought it, only for Kenji Hiroshi to seize it first.[32] During a brief battle with Averian in the world Hotaru arrived in following The Collapse, which saw Kenji intervene to protect him, the Serenity Jewel was gifted to Hotaru by his father without explanation. Unbeknownst to Hotaru, he is now the keeper of Kei's imprisoned Soul.[12]

Powers and Abilities[]

Natural[]

Blacksmith Expertise: An inheritor of his father's techniques, Hotaru is a capable blacksmith, specifically in the fields of Zanpakutō and Bakkōtō modification.[21]

Great Spiritual Energy: Hotaru, per the immediate onset of The Collapse, possessed entry-level Captain-class reiatsu and was capable of performing Bankai, which he first unveiled against Averian.[19] By his own admission, none of his followers, Sakae included, were stronger than Hotaru himself. Specifically, he claimed Sakae was no match for him even on her best day, and when he exerted his reiatsu in sufficient quantity only Sakae wasn't winded.[9] Of the three children who were seemingly attacked by Kenji, Hotaru was the sole one capable of defending himself, indicating power beyond that of his twin, for he stood against someone with power comparable to his father.[4] Furthermore, he was capable of offering some resistance against the likes of Ichihara Kōhai.[12] Power aside, Hotaru is masterful at controlling his output of reiatsu,[16] to the point of near-erasure.[2] He was capable of hiding from all but one of the assembled Captains during a meeting he eavesdropped upon.[33] He was likewise fit to control his exerted levels to convincingly fight at seated officer level, with only Kenji and Van suspecting him of hiding his true power.[6]

Sensory Perception: Hotaru is trained to a high level in the Wan'nesu form. As such, he possesses almost flawless sensory perception when the latter is combined with his existing senses, to the point he could effortlessly track Sakae when she had extinguished her reiatsu through Kidō.[2] His senses, from sight to hearing, are all incredibly sharp.[9]

Stealth: Hotaru is a notably skilled stealth operative. He is roughly on the level of an Onmitsukidō operative and very nearly managed to evade a dogged Van.[18] Following this particular encounter with Van, however, Hotaru ultimately upped his game and remained elusive for years, despite a joint investigation from both Van and Kenji.[11] He was likewise capable of sneaking up on Sakae undetected.[2] Furthermore, he successfully infiltrated the Shihōin mansion, stole Fushichō, and escaped from Anika afterwards successfully.[9]

Enhanced Durability: Even when fighting at a restrained level, Hotaru was fit to tank the Shikai of Michael Davis, the explosion of which had been amplified by Jenna. He even flippantly remarked that sometimes he hated the whole "holding back malarkey".[11]

Enhanced Strength: Hotaru was fit to carry his sister in his arms whilst simultaneously having his twin flung over his shoulder.[4] Furthermore, he was capable of cutting through the skin of an empowered Adjucha with casual ease.[12]

Hohō: Hotaru was capable of employing shunpo to float.[1] He swiftly placed himself in-front of Akira as a human shield during the violent throes of The Collapse.[3] Furthermore, he was capable of swiftly removing himself from Jenna's sensory perception before she could even turn to face where he had been standing.[34]

Enhanced Speed: Even as a child, Kenji noted that Hotaru and Akira zipped around the house like the wind.[1]

Zanjutsu Expertise: Hotaru's true skill lies in swordsmanship, for he was one of the youngest to ever attain the Bankai state, when he and Akira were still considered children.[19] Even whilst holding back, he was fit to clash with the alternate Van,[35] and Van and Kenji correctly assumed that he was much stronger than he let on.[6] As the son of Kenji, and having been trained by Meian, it is no surprise that Hotaru is a masterful swordsman, for he attacks with lethal precision and hardly any wasted energy.[12] He has also studied the Wan'nesu form and is advanced enough in his teaching to be capable of communicating with the spirits found in nature.[2] Like his father, Hotaru is ambidextrous, capable of wielding his Zanpakutō and Bakkōtō simultaneously.[9]

Kidō Mastery: Hotaru studied the style of personal Kidō spells designed by his father and Van.[36] He likewise studied briefly under Captain Kazuya Kuchiki of the 9th Division.[37] Due to hailing from an alternate world, Hotaru has access to two distinct schools of Kidō -- the school of Kidō taught in his native world, and the school taught in the alternate world.[Notes 4] As such, he has more arcane lore at his beck and call than most, and he has blended spells from both to create what he refers to as his "false Shikai".[11] Although skilled in the field of destruction, Hotaru's real skill lay in stealth. In the years following the assault on the 9th Division, Hotaru's skills in using Kidō for matters involving stealth and espionage had improved considerably. He was capable of sitting in on Captain meetings, with only one Captain present noting his presence.[33] Furthermore, he had mastered the various spells employed by the late Ino Hiroshi, to the point of stabilizing both Sakae and Kensei following their battles with Kenji and Van.[9] Additionally, he is able to conjure powerful barriers and wards without calling a name or inciting an incantation, seemingly using hand motions instead.[12]

Hakuda Expertise: Hotaru spent a great deal of time with his uncles growing up, Meian teaching him swordsmanship and Rosuto teaching him Hakuda. As a young man, Hotaru was able to give Ichihara a black eye.[12]

Zanpakutō[]

Tsukigami (月神, Moon God). Hotaru tends to keep his Zanpakutō in a state of release. When required, however, he will seal the blade, and it has been shown to take the form of a wakizashi with a figure-eight guard and white-as-snow hilt.[11]

Hotarushikai

Tsukigami's released form.

  • Shikai: Tsukigami is released with the command "Rise" (騰貴, touki).[11] His Zanpakutō shrinks into a combat knife similar to Kensei Muguruma's Tachizake. Hotaru has the tendency to keep his Shikai active constantly. He has maintained its released form for so long, many have not seen its sealed state. As Hotaru is more proficient with katanas, he tends to use Inyū as his primary weapon, whilst employing the illusionary powers of Tsukigama in tandem, with the knife sheathed.[9]
Shikai Special Ability: Hotaru's Tsukigami is a potent Kidō-based illusion-type Zanpakutō which allows Hotaru to alter someone's perception, to a level allowing him to establish persistent illusions over years that are highly detailed and convincing.[14] In the field of Kidō a practitioner visualizes the spell in question and gives it life through their own reiryoku, with more creativity and stronger reiryoku producing notably stronger effects.[38] As such, the clarity, consistency, and detail of his illusions are directly proportional to the degree of effort and concentration Hotaru exerts. His illusions are incredibly realistic, to the point Hotaru can have illusory phantoms pretend to be him or other people, oftentimes over months and years.[6] He can likewise alter his physical appearance, prominently taking on the physical characteristics of his father's rival, Van Satonaka, to create a complete disguise.[35] In battle, Hotaru has used Tsukigami to create a number of fake Shikai releases, namely using Kidō originating in his native world, his own imagination giving rise to combinations that closely mimic the powers of other Zanpakutō Hotaru himself has seen.[11] When used at full power, Hotaru's Tsukigami has been compared to Sōsuke Aizen's own Kyōka Suigetsu, for it can control the five senses in a way only demonstrated previously by Aizen himself.
  • Weaknesses: Thus far, Tsukigami has been shown to possess three major weaknesses. Van Satonaka was able to discern flaws in Hotaru's execution, largely through extended observation, albeit over years.[39] Anika's usage of Shunkō was able to dispel the illusions, including Hotaru's disguises, through usage of Hanki. This stemmed from its abilities stemming from a Kidō background.[9] Furthermore, Akira's Taiyōshin can completely void the effects of Hotaru's Tsukigami. This led Hotaru to steal Fushichō in order to nullify Akira's advantage, as the artefact completely nullifies flame-based powers, including those possessed by Zanpakutō.[10]
  • Bankai: Zenmoura Tsukigami (全網羅 月神, All-encompassing Moon God). Not yet revealed. Hotaru was regarded as one of the youngest to ever attain the Bankai state, a feat he accomplished when Akira and he were still children at the height of the First Spiritual War.[19]

Hollowfication[]

Hotaru and Akira underwent involuntary Hollowfication at the hands of Oda Kōhai's scientists in an effort to replicate the racial research of Sōsuke Aizen and apply it to his so-called brothers.[12] Whilst his comrades in his own world knew of this development, the Gotei 13 of the alternate world are currently unaware of his Hollowfied state, though both alternate Kenji and alternate Van are convinced that the mysterious Visored fought by Van is Hotaru.[6] Following his brief battle with Anika, however, Hotaru's disguises were stripped away.[9]

Hotarumask

Hotaru's Hollow mask.

  • Hollow mask: Hotaru's Hollow mask is a simple white covering with a lightning bolt running through the right eye, with a scratched appearance and a slight red-lined opening around his mouth.[11] His eyes are obscured by a thin sheen. Hotaru dons the mask when meeting with his contacts as a means of safe-guarding his identity should he be seen during these illicit meetings.[35] The mask he summons is physically identical to that donned by Akira, albeit scratched, and he no longer needs a physical motion to do so.[12]
  • Power Augmentation: The original intent behind Hollowfication was to bring about an enhanced being whose power alone was greater than either a Shinigami or Hollow would be capable of reaching on their own.[40] With his mask donned, Hotaru experiences heightened ceilings of power, whilst expressing a unique duel-type spiritual signature not unlike that of an Arrancar.[41]
  • Enhanced Spiritual Energy: Hotaru is significantly more powerful with his mask donned. The general feel of his reiatsu -- even when restrained during his undercover activities -- differs from his standard state,[35] to the point that Kenji and Van could not initially prove that the Visored fought by Van was Hotaru.[6] His reiatsu has been described as weighty.[11] By 2019, the boost provided by his Hollowfication enabled Hotaru to briefly clash with Anika, who was one of the founding Captains in the Gotei 13, when she was using her Shunkō.[9]
  • Enhanced Durability: Hotaru suffered what was described as a mess of wounds during a brief altercation with Van Satonaka, and managed to flee with little issue. He did admit that he was glad that he was off-duty, however.[35] Additionally, his Hollowfication allowed him to completely resist a Shunkō-powered punch from Anika,[9] and emerge from Clarion's Cero and Nyx's needle storm unscathed.[12]
  • Enhanced Strength: Hotaru was able to parry Averian's initial attack during their brief battle.[12]
  • Enhanced Speed: Hotaru's base speed, reflexes, and reaction time are all bolstered by his Mask. He was capable of reacting to both Anika and Averian in separate instances.[9][12]
  • Cero: Hotaru has demonstrated the ability to fire a scarlet-coloured Cero with a blackened outside edge.[11]
  • Descorrer: Hotaru has demonstrated the ability to open Garganta. He did so on the occasion of kidnapping Michael and transporting him to one of his bases.[11] Furthermore, he used it to flee Hueco Mundo when his father intervened to stall Averian.[12]
  • Enhanced Duration: Hotaru seems to possess heightened reserves of stamina in regard to how long he can keep his mask donned. He frequently meets his various contacts with it donned,[15] and has fought difficult and intense battles without removing his Mask once.[35] This is an impressive feat considering the Visored familiar with Hotaru's father claimed that their time-limit was around three-minutes.[42]

Wan'nesu[]

Battle Aura[]

Armoury[]

Author's notes[]

Behind the scenes[]

Trivia[]

References & notes[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Kenji gone Mad?
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Sakae's Descent
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 First Steps Into the Unknown
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Betrayal!?
  5. Uniform customisation
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Blank period: The Jaws Close
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Blank period: No Rest for the Weary
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 The Fledgling Soul: Answers? Or Questions?
  9. 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 9.17 Hunger and Greed: On the Run
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Vampiric Entry
  11. 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 The Fledgling Soul: Coven's Orders
  12. 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 12.13 Hunger and Greed: The Archon of Storms
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Exposition Into the Unknown
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Clash of Twins? The Lord of Chaos Rules
  15. 15.0 15.1 Back From the Dead: Kensei Muguruma!?
  16. 16.0 16.1 Assault on the 9th Division (event)
  17. Towards the Future: Kenji's Resolve
  18. 18.0 18.1 Blank period: Rising Suspicions
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 Hunger and Greed: Heartfelt Goodbyes
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Blank period: Counterstroke
  21. 21.0 21.1 Bakkōtō (Kenji)
  22. Timeline
  23. Bleach anime; Episode 170
  24. Bleach anime; Episode 174
  25. "Bleach": Official Bootleg KaraBuri+, page 82
  26. Kyūtai (KS)
  27. Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion
  28. Bleach manga; Chapter 131, page 2
  29. Bleach manga; Chapter 176, page 16
  30. Kentaro's usage of Fushichō
  31. Yume Clan relics
  32. Kenji's equipment
  33. 33.0 33.1 A New Chapter
  34. The Fledgling Soul: The Morning After
  35. 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 35.5 Towards the Future: Finalisation
  36. Nigendō intro
  37. Ninth Division (Fanon Canon)#Recruitment
  38. Bleach chapter 81
  39. Fly in the Stone: Diversion
  40. Bleach manga; Chapter 175, pages 9-11
  41. Bleach manga; Chapter 282, pages 4-5
  42. Bleach manga; Chapter 367, page 13

Notes[]

  1. Before the beginning of the FC story, Hotaru was indeed dead in-story. Cataclysm began as a reference book detailing the numerous dead as a result of The Collapse that kicked off Bleach: Cataclysm.
  2. The entire 9th Division is noted to have attended Kei's bar to pay their final respects to Captain Kuchiki, who fell in battle against The Coven.
  3. "Agreed. We can gloss over things like I suggested and keep the general idea without going into specifics, which'll help us with branching stories. I'm game for bringing forward The Coven story, for example, and running it in conjunction to the main story" -- Excerpt from Kenji's message on the Episode 4: A New FC thread. The Coven War (event) page glosses over A New Chapter, which was originally part of the FC, but is now semi-canon only.
  4. During his battle with Michael Davis, Hotaru was shown using Hadō #.8 Būdoha -- a spell which does not exist in the numbered category of spells taught in his native world.
Advertisement