Reiku Hogosha

"I don't want to do this, and I don't think you'll want to either. Trust me."

- Reiku when threatened by a person "Oh, this?. Oh, it's, uh, nothing. Just a gift from my mentor, is all. Nothing significant."

- Reiku to Auralia when asked about his necklace "For now, you keep pursuing that dream of yours, you can do it – I know damn well that you can."

- Farrah to Reiku in her farewell note

Description Summary
Reiku is a calm, quiet, reserved, yet defensive and determined boy. He carries a primary weapon (called Aura Blaze) and two secondary weapons (which he named Masai & Kizu). He is usually seen in a blue and black hoodie with headphones, jeans, and black sneakers. His personality at present may be due to his interesting backstory, as he was annoyingly active and hyper when he was young. A former student of Signal Academy, he is currently a year one student at Vale’s prestigious Beacon Academy.

Additional Info
Aura colour: Blue

Pronounciation: ray-koo hog-oh-sha

Semblance: Guardian's Awakening (Amplified and increased Aura)

Combat Discipline: Divas Virtus, Various

Combat Style: Defensive, usually lets assailant attack first

Appearance
Reiku is a very casual person, not fazed by the fads of fashion (unless he is participating in a formal event).

Because of this, he is usually seen wearing a blue and black hoodie with matching over-the-ear headphones on his head. Underneath, he wears a plain, cream coloured t-shirt. Around his neck is a necklace with a crystal pendant in the shape of a phoenix. He wears a simple pair of denim jeans topped off with black sneakers. Reiku isn’t very worried about his jet-black hair – he dislikes having it spiky - so it almost always looks flat yet untidy. With an average height and weight, he doesn’t seem like an interesting person in terms of appearance. But, he stands out in his own way: his eyes. Deep crimson, piercing, mimicking that of a Grimm monster; it’s hard to imagine a calm, friendly boy while looking at them. Overall, he looks very casual, with a hint of natural uniqueness.

Backstory
As a child, Reiku was loud, active, energetic, hyper, active, and even annoying. He was very mischievous and frequently pulled pranks on his friends and family, even strangers. That’s what he would do all day. Then at night he would go to bed reading books about legendary Hunters and Huntresses. This made eventually decide his path in life, to ultimately become a Hunter himself.

Reiku’s parents, on the other hand, had extremely high expectations for him. They would always push him far beyond his limits, which put him under a severe amount of stress. Every time Reiku came back from Signal with a grade that was deemed unacceptable to them, he would receive an endless barrage of yelling, smacking, screaming, and punishments – ignoring the fact that he almost always came back with a decent mark. Even worse, his parents strongly disapprove the idea of Reiku becoming a Hunter, stating that it is a dangerous yet useless occupation. They thought that the best job for him was to be at the Shnee Dust Company, although Reiku aggressively disapproves the idea.

At the age of just ten years old, the pressure put on him by his parents became unbearable. This left him with no other choice – he would have to run away. And so he did, dropping out of Signal altogether.

For four long years, and after learning from witnessing the masters of crime at work and stealing his own weapons, he made a living as a mercenary and a criminal of his own right: robbing banks, stealing priceless valuables, picking off people, and even assassinating HVI’s (High Value Individual) – all while escaping to the cover of darkness. Occasionally, he would partner up with other criminals for jobs that are too big for him to handle: stealing a safe full of money and gold, for example.

Although he had gathered a great fortune, Reiku never bought a mansion, or super cars, or jet planes. He thought that he would be an easier target should he be seen wearing a tuxedo, penny loafers, and a golden watch. So he kept all his valuables in a secret underground hideout in an abandoned building to the north, just outside Vale. His plan was to save it all until he had hit his golden years. Only then would he indulge in his wealth, and spend until every last penny was wasted or until he died. For now, he would live the life of a low-class man, buying only what was necessary to survive. On occasion, Reiku would spend a little more than usual to add new traps to his already well secured-hideout, though he was already confident of its security from the start; “You never know what might happen,” he would think to himself. “So it’s best to stay well prepared and well equipped.”

At the tender age of fourteen, Reiku eventually had his name put on Vale’s danger-watch list, with a price on his head high enough to attract bounty hunters across town. Life was good so far. Very, very, good. Unfortunately, it was the same year when it all went downhill for him…

Everyone has their own enemies. In Reiku’s case, he had very dangerous enemies; the product of pure jealousy and greed. One day, he walked into his hideout, only to find everything he had gotten over the years, gone. At the middle of the room was a note:

''Do you want your precious valuables back? Meet me at the temple at Emerald Forest unarmed and I’ll be more than glad to negotiate with you.''

RT

P.S

I must say that - as much as I hate to admit it - I am very envious of your talents, especially from a person as young as you.

The note was, indeed, very suspicious – and Reiku wasn’t stupid enough to not notice. But, he longed for the wealth he had amassed over the countless hours he’d spent trying to get it. After all, who could say no to a fortune as big as the CEO of the Shnee Dust Company? So he set off to go to the temple…

Only to be ambushed as soon as he got there.

Men armed to the teeth with guns, swords, axes, and knives surrounded him, cutting off any chance of his escape. Although Reiku was outnumbered by 10-to-one, he was determined that he would bring them to their knees. That wasn’t the case. Within mere seconds, he saw himself on the ground, bloodstained and wincing in pain, with a gun trained on his head. Just as his life flashed before his eyes, a pink-haired woman came to his rescue. Reiku only blinked his eyes a few times, and then all of his assailants were lying on the forest floor, lifeless. Eyes flung wide open, he knew at that only one type of person could bring down enemies that fast, and that the woman was the very occupation he had dreamed of being four years ago – a Huntress.

After being treated by the woman, who was in her mid-twenties, Reiku reflected on his life and realized the monster he became over the years – killing innocent people, stealing countless dollars and priceless items, and throwing the city of Vale into dismay – and asked the woman to mentor him, to teach him how to become a Hunter like her. At first, the woman was shocked to hear that a criminal with a high price on his head was asking her to teach him her ways…so she refused. Reiku kept asking her - up to the point of literally begging the woman - stating that he had looked back on his life and wanted to change.

Deeps inside, the woman saw great chaos in his heart…yet it searched for resolve…

Finally, the woman agreed, and at that moment, Reiku’s life would begin anew, the slate cleaned and ready to start a new beginning.

The woman never revealed her real name, but she introduced herself as Farrah. For the next two years of his life, Reiku would study in the guidance of Farrah, learning the ropes of what it takes in becoming a full-fledged Hunter. Reiku described Farrah as being encouraging and fun yet very strict (and even scary) when need be, stating that “She wouldn’t make you do a certain task over and over again until you got it right – she would make you do a certain task until you could do it smoothly and flawlessly…”. During this time, Reiku started to carve his future by learning a variety of things from the Huntress: learning how to shoot properly, studying on various fighting styles and techniques, how to maintain his weapons, utilizing Aura to its maximum potential – everything he can learn so that he would one day achieve his childhood dream.

Every time either of their birthdays would come, they would hunt Grimm monsters – from hordes of Beowolves to flocks of giant Nevermore – and they would slay any beast that dared to cross their path…all while having one hell of a good time. And of course, they would give each other a small present to commemorate the special occasion.

The two formed an extremely strong and inseparable bond, watching each other’s backs, cheering each other during fights with bad guys and monsters, and even taking one for the team. Overall, Reiku and Farrah became the best of friends.

Two long years have passed when Reiku decided to go back to Beacon and finish where he had left off. With Farrah supporting him all the way through, he was pushed up all the way to his final year almost instantly upon impressing the school’s principal. Graduating with exceptionally well marks, Farrah was filled to the brim with pride. However, Reiku never got the chance to make his own weapon – he had missed the year he was supposed to do so and borrowed Farrah’s instead. So, as a graduation present, Farrah decided to bring out her special “blacksmith kit”. It was then did Reiku breathe life into his very first true weapon: Aura Blaze. The very embodiment that is Reiku Hogosha was put into that gun blade, making it a true extension of him. Afterwards, Reiku decided that he would make a secondary, saying that "Life can turn on a dime. You’ll never know when a second weapon could come in handy.” The end result was two elbow blade machine pistols named Kasai & Mizu.

That same year, Reiku made the decision to visit his parent’s house in hopes of impressing them with his newly learned skills. When he arrived, however, the inside of the house was completely engulfed in flames – screams from within the building filled his ears. Reiku knew very well that the enemies of his past came back in search of revenge...how surprised they would be if they found out what Reiku did next. Remembering the time when he made his very first explosive device (under the watchful eye of Farrah, of course), Reiku pulled the bomb from his pocket and tossed it into the flames - and walked away without looking back. To this day, he has no regrets of his actions on that night...

A few weeks later, Reiku decided to go to the prestigious school that is Beacon Academy. He demonstrated his skills under the watchful eye of Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch. Ozpin saw great potential in his becoming of a Hunter, so he was accepted into the Academy.

Overwhelmed with joy, he went to Farrah to tell her the wonderful news…

But instead of seeing the pink haired mentor he’d known for years, he saw her “blacksmith kit” lying on the floor, with a note attached to it.

My dear Reiku,

''You have no idea how happy I am right now! I watched you show off your skills to Professor Ozpin, and I have never seen anything more impressive! I knew you could do it – I even signed your application form beforehand! Unfortunately, I am deeply sorry that I cannot congratulate you in person, so I am forced to do so here, in the very letter that you are holding in your hands right now. And I am also very sorry that I had to abandon you. ''

''But you have to understand this: it seems that fate has finally caught up to me. I know what it’s like to cheat your way into things, and I know you do, too. But this…this is different. ''

''Do me a favour, and please don’t ever attempt to do what I did a long, long time ago. I thought I could get away with it, but fate…well, fate had other plans. ''

''So I left, leaving you with my final gift to the person who has grown to be a strong fighter, and I know how much it must hurt you. Again, I’m sorry. But, in the end, I was extremely proud of the warrior you have become and I know that you can the very Hunter you wish to be. Do not let my absence faze you – you’ll make new friends at Beacon (trust me, I know). From those couple years we’ve known each other you have never let me down; do not let today (or any other day) be the day that that happens. ''

''Stay strong, my friend, and pray that you will see me again. I swear on my life that I will live to see you once more. For now, you keep pursuing that dream of yours, you can do it – I know damn well that you can.''

Goodbye, Reiku.

Farrah.

Upon reading the note, Reiku shed no tears and did not feel any pain in his heart – he felt determination. He vowed to achieve his dream for his dear friend. He would not let her mysterious disappearance distract him from his goal. And so, Reiku continues his next chapter of his life, as a student at Beacon Academy…

Primary Weapon Type:

 * Aerodynamic Propellant Utility Gunblade (PDW SMG Version)

Primary Weapon Name:

 * Aura Blaze

Description (Basic):

 * A twin barreled PDW caliber sub-machine gun that morphs into a custom-designed sword and vice versa.

Description (Gun Form):

 * Holds 40 rounds of ammunition. Has four firing modes: three to deal with varying ranges, one to use as a utility. Muzzle velocity at 752 m/s. Includes a custom heat-resistant design and a unique cooling system in both barrels (Single Fire and Launch Mode only) to speed up the rate in which the temperature falls inside the barrel.


 * 1) Full Auto: Standard firing mode, fires at 808 RPM, used for close ranged combat. Medium-high recoil.
 * 2) Burst Fire: Fires three bullets in each time the trigger is pulled. Highest RPM out of the four firing modes, clocking in at 954 RPM (per burst). Fires bursts at 0.5 second intervals. Useful for medium range skirmishes. Medium recoil.
 * 3) Single Fire: Fires one bullet each time the trigger is pulled. Used for medium-long range firefights. Low-powered explosives assist in increasing bullet speed, increasing velocity to 816 m/s. Although the cooling system is activated after each shot, a 0.75 second cool down is required as explosives heat up the barrel to 122 degrees Fahrenheit every time the trigger is squeezed. Slowest ROF at 80 RPM. Medium-low recoil.
 * 4) Launch Mode: Fires high-powered explosives in a separate barrel to increase the wielder's momentum, effectively useful as a propellant. Ineffective for combat as the explosives ignite and go off just outside the barrel. Mandatory one second cool down between shots.

Description (Sword Form):

 * A custom design, this sword is made to be aerodynamically efficient all while staying significantly sharper than a surgeon’s scalpel. This allows the wielder to slice through bamboo with devastating ease. The sword’s manufacturing process is highly secretive and the metallic alloy used is said to be one of the strongest in the world, yet extremely light. However, since the sword is a custom-made model, it is hard to use at first, and its sharpness can be a hazard to the user itself should he/she make a mistake.

Secondary Weapon Type:

 * Dual Elbow Gun Blades (Fully Automatic 0.45 ACP Caliber Variant)

Secondary Weapon Names:

 * Kasai & Mizu

Description (Basic):

 * Akimbo machine pistols that turns into elbow blades and back with lightning quick speed.

Description (Gun Form):

 * Two fully automatic pistols that fire 0.45 ACP caliber bullets. Magazine holds 20 rounds each. Fires at 793 RPM with a muzzle velocity of 670 m/s. Useful at very close range.

Description (Elbow Blade Form):

 * Made from the same metal and manufactured the same way as Reiku’s primary weapon, Aura Blaze, these blades are the type of weapon that can strike fear into the bravest of souls. Why? Maybe it’s because it can change forms in a blink of an eye. Maybe it’s the fact that it can slice through a melon with almost no effort at all. Maybe it’s the size of them – small enough to be used like a hidden blade while staying out of sight. Ah, who knows? When Reiku pulls out these bad boys, he means serious business. And when he means serious, he really does mean serious.

Miscellaneous

 * Reiku is well trained in various martial arts, using all four of his bare limbs to deliver rapid blows, either to stun or to disable completely. Being taught in the art of Divas Virtus, he can add a more power to his punches, though it does comsume a fairly large amount of Aura with prolonged use.

Abilities and Attacks:
Being well trained in utilizing Aura, combined with the fact that he emanates one that is abnormally strong and has an immense amount of it, Reiku's abilities and attacks are primarily based on this precious energy. Despite this, he can use his own weapons effectively without the use of Aura. Here are some of his signature moves:
 * Aura Wave: Reiku swings his hand/foot/weapon while channeling Aura into that specific area and releases it. The result is an attack that moves at a frighteningly fast speed, shaped like a thin crescent. Though hard to dodge, it is a very weak attack. Can be fired at a fairly rapid rate, but can consume Aura quite fast when doing so.
 * Energy Sphere: Gathers Aura into one ball and fires it. This particular move can be charged over time. The attack is slower and uses more Aura than other attacks, but is more damaging.
 * Swift Assault: A lightning fast move (his fastest one to date), this requires Reiku to have his back turned towards the enemy and Aura Blaze in its gun form. The combo is a swift sequence of three attacks:
 * 1) Reiku first propels himself towards the enemy by firing Aura Blaze in Launch Mode, attacking the assailant with his elbows.
 * 2) Reiku quickly turns towards the enemy with his gun extended, bludgeoning his target while simultaneously switching to Burst-Fire Mode.
 * 3) Finally, Reiku fires Aura Blaze just as the barrel points towards the aggressor. May be used with Normal or Single-Fire modes, but works best with Burst-Fire as it fires the most rounds into the enemy during the combo.

Personality
Reiku is very calm and reserved, keeping to himself most of the time, though approaching him isn’t much of a problem since he is rather friendly. He can be seen as a mellow person, usually staying cool in tough situations. He’ll talk when need be, but unless he’s around his friends, he’ll stay quiet most of the time. Reiku, however, can be a little defensive; anyone who dares touch Aura Blaze without permission will probably end up with a broken finger. He is also a determined person, finding it difficult to abort a project that’s already started. Speaking about projects, Reiku is also very precise when working and fighting and tends to start over from where he left off when he makes a fairly small mistake (the only time where he’ll worry about small things), effectively making him a perfectionist.

Trivia

 * Reiku originally had brown hair and eyes, but mysteriously changed colour after training with Farrah.
 * He can be described by the popular Japanese anime term, “tsundere”.
 * His colour scheme is based off of “Lucario”, a creature from the popular Japanese anime television series/critically acclaimed RPG, “Pokémon”.
 * Reiku suffers from a slight case of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and ADD (Attention Defecit Disorder).
 * His secondary weapon names means "Fire & Ice" (respectively) in Japanese
 * “Reiku Hogosha” translates into “Aura Guardian in Japanese.
 * Although the proper translation for “aura” is “reiki”, the term was slightly modified in order to create his name.
 * Alternate Main Theme: [[File:Blue_Foundation_Eyes_On_Fire.ogg]]

Credits
Shout out to Ray for helping me with Reiku's secondary weapon names!

And a huge thank you to my awesome friend (who's name I shall not reveal for privacy reasons) for drawing the equally awesome OC art  (please, I beg you to STOP calling me Jerry -_-)!