Sound Magic

**Sound Magic** (サウンド・マジック, *Saundo Majikku*) is a highly specialized form of Ki manipulation. It revolves around the acute manipulation of acoustic qualities such as pitch, amplitude, intensity, frequency, and tone. Though this ability gets its specialty from the mastery of frequency manipulation, rather than relying on the intensity, or loudness, of a sound that can be created using other abilities.

## Description

This ability allows the user to perceive, generate, and manipulate all types of sound and vibrational frequencies. The creation of a technique’s sound is an internal process that does not require the output of Ki into the environment to form the desired pitch or frequency. The manipulation of Ki is an internal process within the body that is then projected outwards as an organic vibrational wave with the desired properties. Because of the skill and knowledge required to produce the sound internally before projecting it outwards, a user must be highly skilled in the practice of Ki manipulation to be able to achieve such attacks without damaging themselves in the process. This particular process, however, allows a user to send off an attack without it requiring Ki to maintain its effect. The formation of the sound will utilize the abilities of Ki to help the user adjust the sound to suit the particular desire, yet once the particular vibration is cast, it functions as solely that. The sound will travel as a vibration that propagates through a medium as its typical wave of pressure and displacement of molecules. This allows a mage to overcome Ki manipulation techniques that have the ability to displace an attack due to the fact that it is an organic attack of that was achieved through the emission of Ki into the environment. This is not to say that Ki isn’t required to maintain the duration of such sound wave, and so a user must continuously mold their Ki to achieve the desired output for a longer duration. This particular feature is one of the sole reasons that many sound manipulation users work so hard to achieve such mastery over their Ki, so they can one day achieve this particular ability.

The downside to this is that they can only produce organic spells that have a point of origin at their body; limiting their range of effectiveness to close and mid-range combat. The strength of this ability comes from its keen manipulation in frequency. Emitting such vibrational frequencies can have both positive and detrimental effects. For example, when a user emits a high vibrational frequency into their blade, its cutting power can be increase to help slice through molecular structures deemed impossible for normal blades. Or perhaps they emit sonic pulses from their feet to improve their speed to tremendous levels; a pulse that they can redirect and adjust to match the frequency of a tall building to cause it collapse in on itself. This organic sound is also deadly on its own, due to the fact that these waves can travel through nearly any medium; regardless of being solid, liquid, or gas. And due to the fact that sound is invisible, it makes a user’s attacks nearly inescapable and undetectable if emitted at the correct frequency and amplitude.

### Spells

* **Nekodamashi** (猫騙し, ねこだまし): This technique is usually done to surprise an opponent by doing a loud, unsuspected clap in front of their face to cause them to lapse in focus as well as close their eyes to open themselves up for a strike. The user has managed to amplify this technique through their Sound Magic by amplifying the wavelength and altering the pitch to cause a petrifying effect. The user will read the opponents stance, facial feature, magical pressure, heart rate, breathing pattern, and muscle twitches to determine when there is a relative gap in concentration, or an opening where they let their guard down; as well as the state of mind in which the person is highly susceptible to outside stimuli such as Nekodamashi. This sudden release of sound resonates at a frequency in the brain that is an inverse to the natural synaptic transmission frequency, cause the opponent to lose mobility for around five seconds; a time ample enough for the user to execute a hard hitting attack.
* **Voice Mimicry** (音声擬態, *Onsei Gitai*): Used heavily in reconnaissance and jobs, the user is able to adjust the output of their vocal chords to mimic any sound she has heard or is able to listen to for a duration of fifteen seconds. This mimicry is highly effective in infiltration and bypassing vocal scanners, as well as confusing the enemy through phone calls and misleading directions in groups. She can use this to manipulate and scare an opponent by releasing large explosion sounds, or even throwing their voice to mislead the direction in which their attack is coming from.
* **Sonic Pulse** (音波パルス, *Onpa Parusu*): the user can create a counter vibrating frequency to cancel out another object's natural vibrational frequency, thereby causing it to shatter. This ability takes advantage of the ideal that everything; including objects, living creatures, immaterial creatures, space, time, matter, energy, and so on, gives off a vibrating frequency, and by emitting an opposing frequency, both the frequency and the object are destroyed. However there is a limit as to what the user is able to destroy using this counter-soundwave. A mage who is just beginning to use this magic is only able to determine the resonate frequency for static material objects after hearing their emission from hitting another object. This is extremely useful when it comes to battle during those who rely on weapons, as they is able to determine the opponent’s weapon frequency when it clashes with their own, which allows them to emit a sound wave to help destabilize the molecular structure of the blade and cause it to lose its effective shape. This can typically be done through the emission through their vocal chords. They are also able to let forth a scream to resonate against various structures such as stone walls, concrete barriers, brick buildings, and of course shatter glass.
* **Acoustic Wall** (音響壁, *Onkyō Kabe*): Using the same principles as Sonokinetic Flight, the user is able to emit a frequency to help repel objects and attacks. This attack usual expands with a twenty-five foot diameter of optimal effectiveness, but has a five foot buff of effectiveness dependent on the strength of the offending attack and the dissipation of the sound waves in the medium. This can go one of two ways, with a high frequency wall or a low frequency wall, and is a choice the user will decide when she is facing the opponent. Typically a high frequency wall is used, around 29,000 Hz to avoid hearing damage, as it can repel most physical items include those of the liquid nature; but when facing an opponent who uses fire, she will take on a low frequency approach. Ranging from 30 to 60Hz, soundwaves have been proven to extinguish flames, as the difference between the high-pressure peak and low-pressure trough in the sound wave is large enough to douse the flame.
* **Sonokinetic Flight** (ソンッキネティクフライト, *Sonkkinetiku Furaito*): Through the emission of two unique sound waves to surround them, these sound waves will be at frequencies slightly above the audible range--roughly 22 kilohertz. When these sound waves are precisely aligned, it creates two sets of sound waves that perfectly interfere with each other, setting up a phenomenon known as a "standing wave". At certain points along a standing wave, known as nodes, there is no net transfer of energy. Because the acoustic pressure from the sound waves is sufficient to cancel the effect of gravity, she is able to levitate when placed at the nodes. This requires a great deal of concentration for them to maintain levitation. She will usually emit these frequencies through Ki emission in their feet, palms, and other various joints along their body to help maintain equilibrium in the air, as well as provide a method to advance their propulsion to that of the speed of sound.
* **Sonokinetic Shield** (ソンッキネティク盾, *Sonkkinetiku Shīrudo*):The most basic of their defensive spells, the user can form a multitude of sonokinetic shields of varying shape and thickness, functioning independent of one another. This barrier is made up of highly vibrational Ki molecules, making it impossible for even mages of the highest skill to manipulate or consume. These barrier particles vibrate in such a way that, even though they can be broken with a fairly strong attack, they can withstand most weapon attacks, physical attacks, and projectile attacks from that of an average mage. The dimensions of this barrier is typically only two to three inches thick, but is fluid enough to cover a variety of objects in a 120 square feet area. They also are not bound by earthly ties, meaning that the barrier itself does not have to have an anchor and can freely float and move alongside the user should she use it as a shield. This also means that even if a mage does happen to break out of the barrier, the user can simply manipulate it to stretch back around the target, and then reinforce it so it doesn’t happen again. The benefit is that this construct can be made a multitude of ways, from the typical Sound Mage way of vibrating the Ki through their vocal chords; or he can use ambient sound waves made from a snap of his fingers to the stomp of his foot. This helps them avoid exposing their insides to the likes of poison gas or other inhalable substances before he can erect a shield.
* **Techno Fist** (テクノ拳, *Tekuno Ken*): Cupping their hands together, this attack can be performed in various levels dependent on the level of strength desired from the output as well as the standing frequency of the target. For the first stage of the fist, an output of a low frequency sound is released into a contained space to resonate. For this, the user will cup their hands together by holding the wrists together and keeping the palms open. She will then extend their fingers towards the center of their palm and begin emitting a certain frequency of Ki from them, keeping the force contained within the space in front of them. Their fingers act like buffers for the sound to resonate back and forth, the waves altering their pitch until it reaches the correct frequency to disrupt the construct of the target in front of the user and deal substantial force. This pulse of sound feels like a freight train hitting dead on in the chest, as well as having the potential to rupture the ear drum of a target that is hit. Once the correct frequency is reached, the user will push forth a large surge of Ki from the middle of their palms, breaking the containment she had on the mass and sending the blast of sound forward in a beam towards his target at a resounding speed. The pulse is able to be sent out in a shot of three different bursts, and dependent on the frequency, it does not take long to repeat.
* **Songbird's Lullaby** (歌姫の子守唄, *Utahime no Komori-Uta*): Hearing this progression of notes causes a mage to feel extremely drowsy and practically fall asleep. This attack relies on what is known as binaural beats to help slow the target’s brain wave pattern from a normal waking Beta frequency to a slower Alpha frequency, then to a slower Theta frequency (the brainwaves when we are dreaming), and finally to Delta waves (the brainwave frequencies of deep sleep). Scientists have stated that, “Within the sound processing centers of the brain, pulse stimulation provides relevant information to the higher centers of the brain. In the case of a [two different wave forms] the electron pulse rate in one part of a sound-processing center is greater than in another. The differences in electron pulse stimulation within the sound processing centers of the brain are an anomaly. This anomaly (the difference in electron pulse stimulation) comes and goes as the two different frequency waves mesh in and out of phase. As a result of these constantly increasing and decreasing differences in electron pulse stimulation, an amplitude modulated standing wave (the binaural beat) is generated within the sound processing centers of the brain itself. It is this standing wave which acts to entrain brain waves.” By emitting these two alternating waves from each of their hands, the user is able to adjust the frequency slowly to lure the target to sleep. Because this frequency is in tune with the natural wave frequency of the brain, a target will not be able to hear the song start, only begin to notice as they are starting to get drowsy and sluggish as their brain begins to adjust to the emitted binaural beats.
* **Song of the Lotus** (蓮の歌, *Hasu no Uta*): A high pressure sound wave whose frequency and intensity can cause extreme nausea and disorientation in those who hear it. These sounds waves will shift the endolymph within the three semicircular canals of the ears, causing the hairs within the ampule to depolarize and send a signal via the vestibular nerve to tell the brain the position of the body. When these signals originating from the ear do not match up with the signals perceived from the visual cortex, the body cannot determine its correct orientation and the target will become extremely nauseous. Its effects have been described as being as severe as a Dragon Slayers motion sickness; forcing a mage to remain motionless unless they dare suffer projectile vomiting.
* **Death Song** (死の歌, *Shi no Uta*)**:** Though not actually causing death, this attack of infrasonic sound can cause an unfamiliar mage to go into a severe panic attack, as well as cause lasting damage to the eyes and eyes if sustained long enough. The low frequency of infrasonic sound and its corresponding long wavelength makes it much more capable of bending around or penetrating your body, creating an oscillating pressure system. Depending on the frequency, different parts of the body will resonate, which can have very unusual non-auditory effects. For example, the user will start off the song at 19Hz. This will cause the opponents eyes to twitch; and as she turns up the volume to approach 110 dB, their opponent will start seeing colored lights at the periphery of their vision or ghostly gray regions in the center. This is because 19Hz is the resonant frequency of the human eyeball. The low-frequency pulsations start distorting the eyeball's shape and pushing on the retina, activating the rods and cones by pressure rather than light. the user will then slowly increase the song and alter the Hz to allow for different effects. At 130 dB, the inner ear will start undergoing direct pressure distortions unrelated to normal hearing, which can affect their target’s ability to understand speech. At about 150 dB, people start complaining about nausea and whole body vibrations, usually in the chest and abdomen. By the time 166 dB is reached, they will start noticing problems breathing, as the low-frequency pulses start impacting the lungs, reaching a critical point at about 177 dB, when infrasound from 0.5 to 8Hz can actually drive sonically induced artificial respiration at an abnormal rhythm. This combination of infrasonic effects practically immobilizes a mage, robbing them of two vital senses as well as inducing hyperventilation. This allows them to easily bypass a mage’s defenses and subdue them.
* **Sonic Drop** (ソニックドロップ, *Sonikkudoroppu*): Concentrating Ki into their palm and placing it on the earth, she is easily able to cause large tremors. Though usually using their palm, she has done this spell by performing a transition from a punch or kick before striking the ground with incredible force. The Ki that had been concentrated into their extremity will be instantly released into the ground upon impact, cause the earth to spiderweb out in cracks from the sonic soundwaves disrupting the stability and construct of the ground. This will cause the opponent to become off balance and distracted, allowing for a subsequent attack. The Sonic Drop also releases a great deal of rubble skyward due to its extreme concussive nature, causing large chunks of shard like ground to burst up and further damage opponents. the user can concentrate the usual 50 foot span of this attack by altering the release and frequency of soundwaves to prevent the uprooting of earth further away. The speed at which the earthquake happens is about 14 km/second making it almost inescapable for that of a normal human, but a mage of great speed will be able to dodge the cracking earth; hence why the user will send in a second pulse of sound to help uproot the shards of earth to those who try and escape into the air.