Neo

**Neo** (ネオ, *Neo*) is a rare type of Soul that has strayed off the proper reincarnation cycle due to specific circumstances, often unique to the race, or the individual themselves. Though they appear as a Plus in appearance, certain Neos give off a a Dual-type Reiatsu signature. However, this signature seems to primarily be akin to that of a Plus'.

## Overview

In the beginning of Stained, Kaiyon was the only known case, even though he wasn't aware that he was a Neo until much later in the story. Because of the unusual circumstances revolving around the birth of a Neo, there does not seem to be a true indicator on how many Neo there are in existence at any given time, as there could possibly several hundreds, if not thousands, of Neo wandering throughout the Three Worlds, most not being aware that they are a Neo. As stated prior, Neos are a rare type of Soul that has deviated from the proper reincarnation cycle, ending up with them going off on a tangent due to their creation. Neos reincarnate like other Souls, but their method of death is different in that their previous life purposely defied the norm for their race, be it on a whim, curiosity, or otherwise.

Through these specific circumstances, a Neo has undergone both reincarnation and incarnation via their birth, which is then applied to themselves. More specifically, the actual Neo is the reincarnation of their previous self, whereas the fragments that stuck to the reincarnated Neo are the **Laulā**, or more commonly known by non-Neos as the incarnation. After their death, before they become a Neo, the previous life essentially undergoes a severe mutation upon their Soul, essentially destroying the majority of it as it's born anew, whilst keeping fragments of its old self that lay hidden within the new Neo's Soul until they're awakened.

Thus far, the only known method of awakening a Neo's Laulā is via the achievement of opening a Zanpakutō's Inner World. Certain Neos may hold more than one Laulā, to which the Neo in question would also be able to see within their Inner World as a type of resident, similarly to how a Zanpakutō Spirit functions.

* **Arrancar**: For an Arrancar to undergo **Neo Reincarnation**, they must rip off their entire **Hollow Mask**, thus ending their life and diverting themselves from the normal reincarnation cycle. A Hollow can achieve Arrancar status by ripping off the majority of its mask, as opposed to all of it, gifting them Shinigami-like powers. Arrancars are an example of more than one Laulā being present within a reincarnated Neo, as they have both a Hollow half, along with a Shinigami half. However, Kaiyon's Tsukiwa has shown great dislike for him due to essentially eradicating her without giving her a choice in the matter, even if this decision was done by his past life, Estrellatu. Due to this, Arrancar derived Neos may end up having a Laulā that would attempt to eradicate them.

* **Quincy**:

* **Fullbringer**:
	+ **Beast Realm Factor**: As shown by Shinzouni Kirinji, after being turned into a Beast Realm inhabitant upon his death to a Hollow, a Fullbringer attempting to 'tame' their Inner Beast by usage of Fullbring in their Inner World can lead for the Fullbringer to undergo Neo Reincarnation. Normally, a tamed Inner Beast would result in a Beast Realmer to Humanize, but a Fullbringer mixing their Fullbring with their Inner Beast, especially with compassion rather than trying to make them subservient, goes against logic itself. However, because the Beast Realm virtually holds nearly no consistent logic, these factors, and it being the Beast Realm, led to Shinzouni reincarnating on the spot into a Neo, turning his newly acquired Fullbring into his Laulā.

### Appearance

Because Neos appear as normal Plus Souls, they do not have any distinguishing features that sets them apart from them, excluding their Reiatsu, if at all.

## Powers & Abilities

* **He kiaʻi** (Hawaiian for *Guardian*) is a passive ability Neo possess that vary between different types of Neo. Neo, by their nature, are susceptible to invading effects, such as Hollowfication, far more than any other race. However, Neo gain a sense of immunity from an effect like Hollowfication if their Laulā is something like a Hollow. Laulā that take over a Neo's body seem to retain this ability.

* **Hoʻomanaʻo** (Hawaiian for *Remembrance*) is an innate, and instinctual, ability that allows for a given Neo to gain the abilities of their Laulā, their past life. The application of a re-given ability may be passive, or it may require to be actively given. Because Neo tend to know little about themselves, they may inadvertently misname a technique or ability.

* **Kahi'ipo** (Hawaiian for *Whirlwind*) is a speed technique utilized by Neo that becomes stronger, or weaker, depending on the relationship with their Laulā. When using this technique, Neo feel either lighter or heavier, where feeling lighter, due to a good relationship, increases their speed, and heavier, due to a poor relationship, decreases their speed. This doesn't increase or decrease a Neo's own weight physically, but more spiritually, and only acts as a hindrance to Neo themselves, rather than something they could use on someone else if they were to receive negative-only effects.

* **Laulā** (Hawaiian for *Incarnation*) is, or are, the most recent incarnation of a Neo before their current life. When a Neo is born, their Soul undergoes both a reincarnation and incarnation due to some issue caused by their reincarnation. The Laulā ends up acting as a satellite of the Neo's Soul, giving the Soul a peculiar appearance if one can perceive it. Since Laulā are a tag-on to a Neo's Soul, the inability to unlock one's Inner World may have them lie dormant forever. They retain all their memories and abilities, with some exceptions due to unique circumstances. Neo tend to rely on their Laulā for a myriad of Neo-specific abilities, so keeping a good relationship is a must, or else the Laulā may usurp the Neo, thus eliminating the Neo forever. If a Neo were to die, then their Laulā die with them.

### Hua'i

**Hua'i** (Hawaiian for *Cherishing*) is an important, and personal, ability of a Neo performed through one's Reiryoku instead of their Reiatsu. Though it is often misunderstood, a Hua'i is gained when a Neo most wants something, or as Nu'u puts it, when a Neo most needs something to function. This ability is most commonly gained through strong emotional reactions, such as trauma, and then becomes set within a Neo's own Heart. Interestingly, Neo can have similar Hua'i, but their specific functionalities may differ, such as certain sub-effects.

There have been cases where Neo may end up using their Hua'i instinctively, whether a person knows how to utilize their Reiryoku or otherwise. One final thing of note is that Fullbringer-Neo seem to have their Fullbring augmented into a Hua'i, rather than gaining something new altogether.

While Laulā can use this ability through a Neo, they cannot gain a Hua'i of their own if they usurp a Neo prior to gaining a Hua'i, losing the ability to manifest it forever. They also cannot gain their own Hua'i, even if a Neo has unlocked it before, and instead must use the Neo's Hua'i.

### 'Uhane

'**Uhane** (Hawaiian for *Spirit*) is a unique type of Reiatsu Neo possess. By working in tandem with their Laulā, the Neo and their Laulā can merge their differing Reiatsu types to create a **Neo-type** Reiatsu signature. If a Neo possesses a singular Laulā, then their Reiatsu becomes Dual, if they have two, then it becomes a Tria, and so on and so forth. Because it is largely unknown, most that have not encountered it tend to not notice the signature, and end up instinctively ignoring it.

A 'Uhane functions differently than a normal merged-type Reiatsu signature, instead acting as another layer upon the initial Reiatsu signature. This effect even stems to the other Reiatsu present, with the Neo's own Reiatsu acting as the Reiatsu closest to them, and then the Laulā's own coming after depending on strength and overall relationship if there's more than one Laulā. Because of this multi-layered Reiatsu signature, Neo seem to have a greater reach with their Reiatsu than most people.

Despite all of these advantages, there seem to be a few disadvantages, such as the reserves of both the Neo and their Laulā draining much faster in exchange for more power. Another thing to note is that if the Neo is not careful enough, or if the enemy is perceptive enough, this could put Neo in a vulnerable state that could be abused.

Since this ability relies on coordination with one's Laulā, the relationship needs to be on good terms for 'Uhane to function properly, or else it could act as a gateway for a vile Laulā to take advantage of their Neo.

Finally, Laulā that have usurped Neo can still utilize this ability, but their Reiatsu is the primary Reiatsu, whereas the former Neo's acts as the next layer, albeit far weaker since the Laulā is using remnants of what once was, thus making a Laulā's 'Uhane below average.

## Trivia

* This page's infobox uses the design of Roxas within Dive to the Heart from the Kingdom Hearts series.
* The naming scheme for the Neos follows that of the Hawaiian language.