Name: Raphael Antonnius
Age: 22
Race: Human
Description:
Raphael is a young man that stands just under six feet tall with a build that doesn't suggest he would be very strong. His clothing matches the color of his hair, bright read and he has a set of piercing blue eyes to match. He often wears gloves and sturdy boots with jeans that he just can't keep free of rips.
His weight is one hundred and eighty pounds suggesting that he may have some muscle on his lean frame and he will often wear red gloves, somewhat to match his outfit but mostly to hide numerous scars and burns from the training he has undergone.
Relationship Status:
Canon Verse - None
The Kingdom of Roseria - Open
History
Raphael was a young man from New York City with a talent for art and various forms of dance. He had plans to go to college, perhaps on to a university and try his luck in the field of teaching and painting, to live a quiet and educated life. During the summer of 2011 he took a break from his classes in ballroom dance and oil panting to help watch after his Aunt's pawn shop on the corner near a park on the edge of the urban area where city started to turn to neighborhood.
It was a quiet and tucked away part of the town compared to where he spent most of his time but he had enjoyed watching the shop in the past as it gave him the opportunity to relax and unwind with less rushed attempts at painting and sketching. That summer he set out on the grand task of writing a romantic novel for one of his close friends that were getting married in less than a month.
Yet it was not fated to be such a simple summer for Raphael when the bell jingled and an old Japanese man came into the shop seeking to pawn a grocery cart full of items. Almost none of them had any value, even in a pawn shop, but Raphael was a naturally kind boy and let the old man show his wares and tell him many stories of his life. In the end he felt he would be paying out of pocket but he wound up purchasing a good amount of the junk from the cart to include old appliances and a post of the late Bruce Lee with an autograph that he knew had to be fake. Then the old man turned to leave and Raphael went into the back to retrieve his sketchbook where some inspiration had sideswiped him from the ordeal, but the old man was still there and seemed to be looking at him with renewed interest.
"Do you have a love for that skill boy?" The old man asked in a wizened voice.
"I'm an artist." The red haired youth replied in a good mood.
"But do you love the art?!" He asked again with such effort that a fit of coughing followed.
After sitting the old man down he was asked the question again and he answered it absently, "Yes, I love everything to do with art. Drawing, painting, writing, dancing. It all makes me feel a little more special than the random kid on the street."
"Then we have one more item of business, but I shall require only your name in return."
Still very puzzled and worried about the health of the old man, for he still broke out into terrible coughing fits during their conversation, he answered. "Alright, alright. I suppose any item at that price is one I can afford, my name is Raphael Antonnius."
"*Rafaeru... guard this treasure well and draw it only under the most dire of circumstances. Your need is a signature on the contract."
Raphael was then present with the pair of old swords, he hadn't noticed them in the cart before and he tried to argue about giving the man a fair price. However, when he turned to set them on the counter and then come back to dicker the old man was gone, cart and all. He was left all alone in the shop with a pair of old swords that he had no particular interest in but at the same time he felt a certain obligation to at least hold onto them for a day or two.
Later that night as he was locking up Raphael found himself being a victim of a robbery, sad thing that it was to rob a pawnshop in the quiet part of town. Everything was going just as the gunman wanted until he picked up the pair of swords from the old man and turned into a standing vegetable, everything on his face and in his eyes just stopped. Raphael waited for a hot minute but what he had wished for really had seemed to come true the holdup man had just frozen on his feet like someone shocked him silly and stood him up like a manikin.
The situation quickly changed from a young boy cowering behind a desk to that of a concerned youth as he first removed the gun, tossing it to the floor, and then tried to lay a hand on the swords. A cold feeling swept over him and he found himself standing in an open field as if he had been transported inside an Asian oil painting. Yet, there was a different man holding the end of the sword now. A man that promptly introduced himself as Miyamoto Musashi.
*Rafaeru is Raphael in Japanese.
(More coming soon)
Equipment
These are two of the five swords that once belonged to the fabled and deadly artist Miyamoto Musashi and his spirit seems to communicate with Raphael through various visions. Much like the idea of Excalibur these swords are only ordinary pieces of metal in the hands of someone else but when the ancient swordsmen chooses someone worthy of holding his power they are bestowed with the abstract principle: To Cut.
These swords exhibit mystical properties even in the hands of a random person:
- Completely indestructible (See Ken no ken).
- Sharper than any sword in existence, their edge has been said to be sharpened past the atomic level.
- Completely immune to magic, they exist as a physical embodiment of an abstract concept and as a result they have the same protection and status as that concept.
- The scabbard of either weapon has shown the ability to cancel out kinetic energy completely. In layman's terms it can block a hit from the most powerful opponent and completely cancel out their force so that the strength of the wielder does not matter.
Powers
The powers bestowed upon Raphael Atonnius are actually techniques and skills that are taught to him by the late guardian of the concept (To Cut) Miyamoto Musashi himself, who claims to have been watching for someone with a worthy heart and willing hands. As a result the spirit teaches Raphael the powers and techniques that made him the most deadly swordsman to walk to the earth, first by teaching him the truths of the five rings and then by pulling him farther into the power that the swords embody.
It is said that the sword has a total of a thousand secrets that Musashi will gladly force Antonnius to learn, one day at a time for the rest of his life if necessary. All of these secrets are only accessible by the chosen 'holder' of the sword.
(It should be noted that none of these abilities are considered magic but rather reality warping and abstract control)
Passive Abilities
The abilities that Raphael has no direct control over.
- Bōeki kokoro (Trade Minds): This power is one used only when Miyamoto feels like it. The spirit will take control of Raphael's body in order teach him a lesson or protect him from harm. In this state the body is literally controlled by the ancient warrior and he wields the swords with all the power of the abstract concept "to cut".
- Eien no kizu (Eternal Wound): Once a sword is taken out from the scabbard the wounds and damage it inflicts can not be healed nor regenerated from until it is replaced in the scabbard. This ability is not magic in origin or even divine but abstract as it shows the true nature of what it is to cut and be cut.
- Mugen no ejji (Infinite Edge): This ability is fueled by the concept that the sword embodies and allows the sword to cut through any substance or energy, anything that exists can be cut, even the soul. Which in doctrine relates back to the ability of Eien no kizu because the cut is not only a physical concept but one that is tied into existence itself.
- Ken no ken (Sword of Swords): The swords owned by Miyamoto Musashi are the physical embodiment of an abstract concept and as such they are the swords above all other swords. They can not be drawn from the scabbard unless by the chosen one or Miyamoto himself and they are completely indestructible even to reality warping. When the chosen one holds any of these blades they are given the ability to speak to and see the late swordsman and embodiment of the concept 'to cut'.
- Boido no shōten (Focus of the Void): The most potent and seldom seen ability of these swords is the ability to completely clear the mind of the holder once they have been trained by the spirit. Though a human can learn to achieve 'Zen' by themselves this ability amplifies that by a thousand fold so that when the wielder truly focuses on only the aspect of cutting and staying in line with the hints that the spirit has given them their perceptive powers and fighting ability will seem to have precognitive aide. However, anyone not chosen to hold the blade that attempts to steal it will be met with their mind being filled by infinite emptiness, so much so that none of their thoughts can even manifest. Only the chosen can learn to wield the infinite space and power that is found in the void while others will simply lose: their way, their thoughts and all sense of time until they either drop the sword or are relieved of it. (Note: This is not considered a form of telepathic assault but the wielder enters into a contract with the abstract entity when they hold the sword to plunge into the void, only the chosen one of the entity can function while in this contract.)
(Boido no shōten has been seen to protect Raphael from telepathic and mental assault if he is properly engaged in it, outside of it he is as vulnerable as any other human.)
“The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, whatever the means. Whenever you parry, hit, spring, strike or touch the enemy's cutting sword, you must cut the enemy in the same movement. It is essential to attain this. If you think only of hitting, springing, striking or touching the enemy, you will not be able actually to cut him." - Miyamoto Musashi
Specific Style Abilities
These are contracts or deals made with the spirit of Miyamoto Musashi that are the 'rules' or the conditions upon which the wielder must use any of the five swords.
- Sonkei (Honor): The swords must be used in an honorable fashion, always used for duels or wars and never for assassination. Also, two swords are meant for multiple opponents and one on one will always require the use of one sword. For large areas the Tachi shall be used and for enclosed areas the Tanken will be used. If the user finds themselves overwhelmed in a duel, such as facing a dual wielding opponent, then they may take the scabbard of the sword they have drawn in hand as their second weapon though it is highly discouraged.
- Ruiseki sutoraiki (Cumulative strike): The sword will always be held in one hand except for when the wielder calls for a breaking blow. The sword will then be held in two hands and any attack made by him will impact with the full force of every swing that the sword has ever taken accumulated into one blow. The current weight of this blow is one hundred tons.
- Tekunikku o kaku (Drawing Technique): When drawing the sword it is said that the samurai, the swordsmen, has a chance to outright end any confrontation and cut down the enemy before him if he has enough skill, power and resolve. This technique can only be done when drawing a sword, in accordance with the rules of Sonkei, and it allows the user to make a single attack at the speed of light even if they can not comprehend the movement themselves.
- Roku sen ochiba (Six thousand falling leaves): A reality distortion ability that Miyamoto forces Raphael to train in constantly, it involves a very old ritual wherein Miyamoto teaches complete defense and attack from every angle. There are six heavenly directions: Up, down, left, right, forward and back. In the book of the five rings Miyamoto eludes to the fact that even an ordinary man can learn to be powerful and defeat ten and ten can defeat a hundred and a hundred a thousand. In this technique the user delivers six thousand slashes in the span of time it takes them to deliver one, not by slashing with incredible speed but by distorting reality so that they can slash in six thousand different angles at once. This is a perfect defense and attack as it has been shown to ward off machine gun fire and keep Raphael dry under a raging waterfall. Though it is not without a price, due to his inexperience his arm will appear to steam and be burnt after more than one use as the bending of reality is hard to master for any mortal.
- Tengoku no ashigakari (Heavenly foothold): A simple, spiritual based ability wherein the user solidifies their spiritual pressure and uses it to stand in thin air. Consequently the user can use this ability to do impossible feats like running up sheer cliffs and fighting upside down with a solid foothold on the ceiling. Once the owner becomes more experienced they will be able to use this ability without having the sword in hand.
Physiology
“Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world” - Miyamoto Musashi
Under normal circumstance Raphael exhibits peak human potential and physiology from the harsh training that the guardian of the swords has given him. Though in certain circumstances when Miyamoto has taken over his body or he has attained deeper connections with the 'void' or 'zen' aspect of his powers he has been shown to rival superhumans in both strength and speed.
Those special conditions normally arise when Raphael is pitted against an enemy that symbolizes something he must overcome or when he fights for the life of someone else. Miyamoto has commented that everyone must use the weapon most attuned to them and that Raphael's seems to be the 'hero' or the 'protector'.
Below are different modes or showings of his physiology that have been put into categories, it should be noted that Raphael has demonstrated above peak human durability even when separated from his swords due to the training he has undergone.
- Normal Circumstances - Peak Human Potential +
- Zen - Supersonic speeds (Mach 1-4), ten ton weight limit
- Full Zen - Hypersonic speeds (Mach 5-10), twenty-five ton weight limit (LOCKED)
- Accomplish Zen Sage/Miyamoto Possession - High-Hypersonic (Mach 11-25), fifty ton weight limit (HALF-LOCKED)
- ***Abstract Sage/Miyamoto Unleashed - A form where the pinnacle of Miyamoto or Raphael's power takes place. The true extent is unknown as it has yet to be seen but it shall dwarf all the others immensely. (LOCKED)
***Yet to be achieved.
Also, his training with the swordsman of legend has left him with very traditional samurai ability and a mastery of the sword that only keeps growing. The brutal and flowing style of Miyamoto Musashi is one that has seen no rival once fully mastered, yet the great teacher claims that a skill is only mastered when the student understands he has nothing to master, he can only continue to learn when he finds he needs only learn from within.
Timeline
More to come~
Teams
(Coming soon)
Notes
- This version of Antonnius is during the early stage of his story for a matured, end of story version please stay tuned and check back for a link down here.
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