"When you finally exhaust all your attempts at transcendence, all your schemes of rebirth, all your dreams of eternity, you will find me waiting for what is more eternal than ending itself? What is transformation but a death of what came before?" |
editShi no Māra  | |||
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| Name | |||
| Kanji | 死の魔羅 | ||
| Rōmaji | Shi no Māra | ||
| Literal English | Māra, He Who Is Death | ||
| Alternative names | Mrtyumāra (मृत्युमार) | ||
| Debut | |||
| Appears in | Anime, Manga, Novel | ||
| Data | |||
| Classification | Hiden, Dairokutenjutsu | ||
| Class | Offensive, Defensive, Supplementary | ||
| Range | Short-range | ||
| Other jutsu | |||
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Shi no Māra (死の魔羅, literally meaning: Māra, He Who Is Death) is an eminently divine miracle that Māra regards as the “casting off of the transient and revelation of the truth” (発迹顕本, hosshakukempon). It is the seemingly inevitable result of Ritsu’s unjust death and fated rebirth as something more than he once was, the realization of his true nature. Surely it is the greatest of Māra's "gifts" for it is the Dairokuten no Shingugen (神具現の第六天, literally meaning: Divine Embodiment of the Sixth Heaven); whether it was a blessing born from a supposed beneficence or a divine punishment simply dressed as grace, none can truly know the intentions of a god. Perhaps there is no glorious reason behind it at all.
Overview[]
This exalted state, or rather, transfiguration first manifests as a bewitching aura of smoke and shadow that bleeds into existence. Reality itself seems to hold its breath for a moment as the atmosphere undergoes a violent change, shifting between absolute darkness and blinding light in rhythmic waves local to him. Time stretches, each second extending into infinity as the world waits in anticipation of what is to come. As the aura dissipates, Ritsu's ebon locks transitions to an ash-grey, growing wilder and untamed. His features take on predatory aspects - his canines lengthen into fangs, short yet wicked claws extending from his fingertips. Despite this savage appearance, those who witness this metamorphosis are inexplicably overcome with dread and reverence. The very fabric of reality frays in his presence, his power resonating throughout the myriad worlds like ripples in a cosmic pond, causing even beings in ethereal realms to tremble at what has emerged.
Abilities[]
Shi no Māra manifests as a state of power that defies mortal comprehension - a transformation where Ritsu's abilities ascend beyond the realm of possibility and into divine certainty. Every aspect of his being undergoes an amplification; his physical prowess and techniques reach heights that render previous demonstrations of his power as mere shadows of his true potential. Body and consciousness achieve perfect harmony, operating with a synchronicity that suggests the dissolution of all previous limitations. To even look upon Ritsu with ill intentions is to abandon all hope; his mere presence shatters the ego of those who witness it, like insects suddenly becoming aware of the cosmos. Their willpower evaporates, attachments and desires revealing themselves to be small - meaningless. This is not mere defeat, rather, it is an awakening to truth.
Divine Revelation[]
It is with the first attainment of this form that Ritsu experienced a lasting phenomenon known as the Divine Revelation (神啓示, Shinkeiji). This enlightenment granted him insight into reality's true nature, a comprehension of universal and metaphysical things, and a consummate understanding of chakra, energies, and the power of "all things in nature" (森羅万象, Shinra Banshō). Through this divine revelation, Ritsu gained a masterful command over connections (接続, setsuzokus) - the invisible threads that bind all existence together, its interconnectedness. He can create, manipulate, sever, and form connections at will and this power further broadens through an ability known as resonance (共鳴, kyōmei), allowing his will to ripple through the myriad worlds and thus interact with them through any medium. He can take hold of the essence, grappling the spirit and caress the bonds between them. Ritsu's influence even extends beyond direct targets to affect entire networks of associations, allowing him to execute his wish through chains of connections that spread across reality like a web.
Spiritual Erosion[]
"You begged for power to change the world. Now you see - the world was never the problem. You were." |
The invocation of Shi no Māra exacts its toll; each use progressively erodes the boundaries between Ritsu's mortal essence and divine nature. It threatens to permanently alter the very core of his being, making each trespass into this realm a dangerous dance with transcendence. His humanity begins to fade and is replaced by a terrible clarity that breeds both wisdom and cruelty. The complexities of mortal existence - love, mercy, empathy - become increasingly distant concepts, replaced by a divine detachment.
Human moral philosophies reveal themselves as naive attempts to comprehend what cannot be understood through their limited perception. Good and evil, right and wrong - these dualities are meaninglessness to one who is above them as he has perceived truths that carnal minds are incapable of grasping. This transfiguration is one of both apotheosis and tragedy - the price of touching divinity is the gradual surrender of what makes him human.
