Zanka Nijiku

Name: Zanka Nijiku
Aliases: Mr. Bad Attitude (by Jabber Wonger), Zan-Zan (by Enjin)
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Height: 178 cm
Eye color: Dark blue
Relatives: Father, Mother, Kyouka Nijiku (older sister), Goka Nijiku (older brother)
Affiliation: Hell Guard (formerly), Nijiku Family, Cleaners (Akuta)
Occupation: Hell Guard Apprentice (formerly), Cleaner (combatant)
Date of birth: February 3
Place of birth: Terra
Jinki: Lovely Assistant

Zanka is a tall, slender teenager with dark brown hair styled back in a mullet and blond streaks that complement his piercing navy blue eyes. His unique appearance is further defined by his eyebrows, shaved into a pattern resembling three distinct lines, and his pierced ears, from which long dangling tassel earrings hang.

His cleaner's uniform stands out for its deliberate, almost ceremonial design. It has a considerably looser cut than those of his colleagues. He almost always wears long-sleeved black gloves, which taper to the middle finger at the palm, fastened with a ring. The uniform has wide sleeves and loose-fitting trousers that allow him freedom of movement. The silhouette of the uniform is enhanced by slightly raised shoulders, and he wears a long navy blue sash that runs across the front and back of his waist. Like many of his fellow cleaners, he carries a large multi-purpose bag at his waist, secured by a belt that crosses his chest.

What truly sets Zanka's uniform apart is its exceptional quality and refined details. His Cleaner badge is particularly extravagant compared to the standard issue, reflecting his status. This elevated presentation is a direct result of his position as a "young master" or "lord" on Terra, a position that grants him a higher level of refinement and distinction among the Cleaners.

Outwardly, Zanka maintains an air of extreme calm and composure, a stark contrast to the emotional turmoil and chaos he often experiences within. While he strives to appear serene, his volatile inner state of anger, disgust, or excitement can erupt in sudden and exaggerated outbursts. Despite his efforts to suppress his emotions, he frequently gets caught up in the antics of his more eccentric classmates, momentarily abandoning his serious and pragmatic facade. His classmate, Tomme Mima, acknowledges Zanka's stabilizing influence, considering him one of the few capable of "bringing order" to their eccentric peers. Zanka's communication style is a blend of confidence and courtesy, tempered by a direct, sarcastic, and unapologetic frankness. Furthermore, he speaks with a pronounced Chūgoku accent, as do all the members of Kamuatari.

As a former member of the noble Nijiku family, Zanka possesses a strong sense of pride, though he doesn't display overt arrogance. His worldview divides people into two categories: "average" and "genius." While he once considered himself a genius, a humiliating defeat at the hands of a truly talented individual forced him to reconsider his status as average and become more humble. Although he harbors a deep resentment toward "geniuses" and their seemingly effortless greatness, Zanka treats them cordially and even attempts to conceal his jealousy, as seen in his interactions with Hyo and Rudo.

Having accepted his "average" or "mediocre" status, Zanka now strives to surpass geniuses through hard work. This relentless pursuit is, as Enjin aptly observes, a battle against his own weaknesses, which ultimately strengthens him mentally. Zanka's maturity is further evidenced by his refusal to blame others for his failures and his aversion to pity. His keen observation skills and critical thinking make him an invaluable member of the Cleaners. Even his boss, Arkha Corvus, relies on Zanka for his insightful analyses, such as his reflections on the growing mysteries surrounding Rudo and the Hellguard. This combination of maturity, intelligence, and ability earns him widespread respect among his peers.

General Abilities: Zanka proves to be a formidable fighter, displaying great speed, strength, and agility in his fighting style. He is an expert in the handling of Vital Instruments, especially his own. Enjin himself, a seasoned Giver, praises Zanka's skills and considers him the best at wielding Vital Instruments among the Cleansers. As a former apprentice of the Hell Guard at the Academy, Zanka was at the top of his class and received various types of training before leaving, including weapons handling and hand-to-hand combat. Zanka also received private training from his family, including his older sister, Kyouka Nijiku, who taught him how to dodge gunfire.
Enhanced Strength: Zanka demonstrated great brute strength, capable of killing Junk Beasts, shattering rocks, and breaking human bones with the impact of his blows. In his second fight against Jabber, Zanka lifted a large, heavy clump of earth from the ground with his Vital Instrument and hurled it at him, forcing him to use his awakened claws to protect himself from the impact.
Enhanced Speed: Zanka has demonstrated great agility in combat, wielding her Vital Instrument with incredible speed and precision, keeping pace with Jabber. Her reflexes are so sharp that she can easily dodge bullets thanks to her older sister's rigorous training, and she is able to react appropriately even to irregular attacks with unpredictable trajectories.

Great intellect: Zanka also demonstrated a sharp, tactical, and perceptive mind, quickly deducing how the Vital Instruments worked and formulating a plan to counter or use them to her advantage. In her battle against two Invaders, she quickly figured out how to counter their ingenious use of Vital Instruments. Against a much tougher opponent, Jabber Wonger, Zanka swiftly devised a plan with Rudo to incapacitate the Invader by using Gris's ability, transformed into a Vital Instrument amulet, to deliver a critical hit to an unconscious but empowered Jabber.
Mastery of Vital Instruments: As Enjin states, Zanka is the best user of Vital Instruments among all the Cleaners, as he understands and harnesses the full potential of his weapon. His experience allows him to decipher the abilities of his opponents' Vital Instruments and devise the best ways to counter them. His experimentation enables him to instruct individuals like Rudo, inexperienced in using their powers, to employ them in more creative and improvised ways, as seen in his fight against Jabber.

Zanka attacks the Raiders with fury using Lovely Assistaff: a simple stick that, when activated, becomes significantly sharper, allowing Zanka to cut through things. Her strength also increases, enabling her to lift large amounts of earth from the ground. Zanka's agile and fluid fighting style allows her to use her entire body at full strength to wield her Vital Instrument and deliver a fatal blow to her enemies.
Vibration detection: Zanka can stick Lovely Assistaff to the ground, allowing it to use vibrations to detect people or objects in the area even when its vision is obstructed.
Inverted Spikes: Zanka can invert Lovely Assistaff's spikes, allowing her to quickly pierce Trash Beasts with her Vital Instrument.

Likes: Flavorful food, people who work hard to achieve their goals.
Dislikes: Bitter foods, geniuses, people who think they are geniuses.
Zanka's body odor smells like incense.
On her days off, Zanka dedicates her time to training.
She feels great admiration for Enjin.

Location: World surface
Inhabitants: Humans/Terrestrials, Garbage Beasts

Terra, known as the Pit by the Sphere people, is the surface of the world, a wasteland with a mostly toxic environment, infested with Garbage Beasts due to the constant rain of garbage from the Sphere.

At least 150 years ago, a large number of humans departed for the sky aboard the Sphere, leaving the rest of humanity on Earth. During this time, the Sphere people believed that no one remained alive on Earth, and they called it the "pit," generally understanding it as a vast garbage dump.

For 150 years, the garbage dumped from spheres onto the ground transformed into Garbage Beasts. The polluted air, as well as the danger they posed, pushed the ground's inhabitants into selected safe zones, where walls were erected and massive vents and filtration systems were built to keep them clean.

The level of pollution has drastically altered the landscape. Growing flowers is now extremely difficult, making them rare and expensive, though artificial flowers are sold for aesthetic purposes. The snow in the Northern District is contaminated and dangerous to the touch, making winter a deadly time. Contaminated areas have formed entirely new biomes, such as the Penta Desert, composed of shredded garbage, and the Tori Jungle, where plants have adapted to the pollution.

The land is divided into four districts, containing both safe and contaminated zones. Each is quite spread out, and the southern one is a two-day drive from the cleaners' headquarters.

Northern District:
The only place on Earth where it snows, and said to be the closest to the Sphere. The snow is toxic, so winter in the Northern District is said to be dangerous.

Southern District:
Two days' journey from the Cleaners' headquarters, the Southern District is home to Tori's No Man's Land. The Southern District is known for its annual Doll Festival, where the Dowders, who consider dolls and other toys vital instruments, display them.

Eastern District:
The Cleaners' Headquarters is located here, and Team Akuta lives there in their free time. Mono, a no-man's-land, is nearby, and it's where Rudo first landed. A larger region, known as Genia, is located in the East District.

West District:
Little is known about the West Side for now, but Hell's Watch has authority there.

Cities covered:
Canvas Town
Kamutari district
Hole Town
Creapye
Kremmos Village
Andio

Contaminated area:
The contaminated zones are the most dangerous areas closest to settlements. Here, garbage beasts breed, and humans can't survive 15 minutes without a mask. Large amounts of garbage can be found, and occasionally, humans scavenging for materials and corpses to sell, especially orbs.

No man's land:
The No Man's Lands are the most dangerous and unexplored of the three areas, as there are only six of them. A human would die almost instantly in these zones, and the garbage beasts that form here are said to be a challenge even for donors.

Currently, only three no-man's-lands are known.

The Cleaners is an organization formed on Terra. Since its founding, the group has wielded enormous influence on the planet. Everyone knows what a "Gift" and a Life Instrument are—something some fear and most respect. Since then, the group has grown to 100 members and completes missions daily.

They are dedicated to protecting Terra's safe zones from the Garbage Beasts that form in contaminated areas. The group is a public organization and regularly receives calls from Terra's inhabitants requesting the Cleaners to "clean up," which involves sending nearby Garbage Beasts back to their zones. The Cleaners are known to the Hellguard and are usually required to report any harm to civilians caused by a Garbage Beast they have taken responsibility for.