My Bankai. Bow

Got this idea from a discussion thread over at www.mangafox.com:

"If you had a zanpaktuo, what would be it's shikai and bankai?"

The various creative suggestions from the otakus inspired me to make up my own personal zanpaktuo. Actually, I already had an idea of what my fictional zanpaktuo would be (an unfortunate side-effect of watching too many Bleach episodes) but I just didn't put it into writing. But since it seems I am not the only one who dreamed of having a zanpaktuo, here goes...

My zanpaktuo's name is "Enigma". It looks like an ordinary katana in its unreleased form but it's shikai, which is released with the command "Confound the unwitting!" is a medieval broadsword - the blade is about 3 inches in width and is made of crystal. The blade acts as a mirror which traps the thoughts of those who see their reflection on it. Once my victim has beheld his reflection on the blade, he/she/it immediately goes into a stupor-like state.

My sword's attacks are psychic-based. The names of each attack are inspired by mythical puzzles.

First Puzzle: Gordias. I can strike my opponent with a psychic blast which is fatal for hollows and ordinary humans. Those who are of tougher mental constitutions suffer varied effects which range from being stunned to turning catatonic. Name taken from the king who inspired the Gordian Knot, a particularly hard knot to untie. Solved by Alexander the Great by cutting it in half with his sword.

Second Puzzle: Daedalus. Another ability of my shikai is limited mind control. Due to my ability to tune into my victim's thoughts, I can play with his senses and make him see and or experience whatever I want him to see or experience. This could be used to turn an opponent against his own allies. Named after the creator of the Labyrinth which housed the Minotaur. Theseus solved the puzzle with a little help from Ariadne and some string. Daedalus and Icarus escaped by means of fashioning wings made of feathers and wax.

Third Puzzle: Oedipus. Final ability of my zanpaktou is the ability to read minds. By pointing my blade at a person, I can immediately see glimpses of his past experiences reflected on the blade. This is useful for interrogation or intelligence gathering, as well as gauging the ability of an opponent prior to combat. In Greek mythology, Oedipus was the one who solved the riddle of the Sphinx devastating Thebes.

Talagang pinag-isipan no? hehehe

My Bankai, which is named "Infinite Puzzle, Mind's Labyrinth" is similar to Tousen's bankai. The blade of my shikai splinters off into countless pieces a la Zenbonsakura but it reconfigures itself as a crystalline sphere encasing myself and my intended victim. Within that sphere my opponent's thoughts are laid bare to me and I could create illusions to assail his psychic integrity. In short - I could literallly drive him insane within the sphere and kill him with his own thoughts. Sadista ako no? hehehe

My zanpaktou's limitation is that it's powers could only be used against a single opponent at a time. And since most of my abilities take a certain degree of concentration, it is possible to nullify my mind control by physically injuring me. Forcing me to move will not release a person from my control, it would just interrupt whatever attack I was employing.

In its released form, my sword also gives me added speed and is much sharper than its unreleased form so it is also a formidable fighting weapon. And given that I am of captain status, most of my battles could be settled without me having to use most of my abilities.

Sufficient back-up is needed for me employ my sword's full abilities. In its bankai form, however, I gain sufficient defense from outside attacks due to the durability of my crystalline sphere. However, those with immense spiritual energy may be able to break through my bankai. If such a scenario happens, my bankai's ability will backfire on me and render me catatonic for an extended period of time.

Of course I'll survive! Ano tayo, weak? hahaha

O siya, tama na ang daydreaming! Having nothing to do renders me prone to fantastical imaginings. Patayog-tayog na lang ni ah.