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“This is what...we were protecting?” ― Enji realises his father has laid down their lives to defend nothing.[source]
Enji Sazanami (
He is a minor antagonist in the Rakuzaichi Arc.
Appearance
Enji is a very tall man, standing at roughly the same height as his equally tall brother Soya. He has white hair tied in two prominent braids that lie to the sides of his head. He typically dons the Tou outfit; a black vest over a white dress shirt with black pants. He appears noticeably older than his siblings, fitting his status as the eldest of the Tou.
Personality
Enji is a generally cool-headed, rational individual. While stationed at the entrance to the Naginojoen, Enji surmised a plausible explanation for their non-standard placement for his sister Tamaki's benefit. He has also displayed care for his siblings, openly concerned about Tenri's decision to use Datenseki to continue fighting Shiba and accepting Shiba's offer to leave and look after the remaining Sazanami siblings after the destruction of the Rakuzaichi.
Relationships
Family
Kyora Sazanami
As head of the clan, Enji respects Kyora's decisions, obeying his commands such as when summoned to confront Chihiro and Shiba at the Sazanami estate. During the Tou's conversing outside the Naginojoen, Enji justified Kyora's lack of informing them about the situation and tried to assure his siblings to simply focus on the task at hand. Nevertheless, Enji was flabbergasted upon learning that Kyora had ordered Tenri's death to protect the already-broken emergency door, but continued to attempt to defend the Rakuzaichi.
Tenri Sazanami
Enji greatly cares for Tenri as an older sibling. When Shiba threatened to burn Tenri's eye out, Enji immediately spoke up in an attempt to save Tenri's life, even willing to divulge how to open the door. Later, when Tenri decided to use the Datenseki, Enji vocally opposed the decision, but ultimately decided to roll with the situation and attempted to help Tenri as best he could against Shiba. Following Tenri's death, Enji was shocked to learn Tenri had died protecting seemingly nothing, but nonetheless was determined to ensure Tenri's sacrifice was not in vain. After being defeated by Shiba a second time, Enji pleaded with Shiba to kill him, as he could never face Tenri had he failed to serve his duty in the line of battle protecting the Rakuzaichi.
Tamaki Sazanami
As fellow members of the Tou, Enji and Tamaki work fluidly in battle, coordinating attacks in turn and together. After Tenri's death, Enji immediately went to wake Tamaki and the two both decided to engage the intruders after learning the emergency door was broken, Tamaki standing by Enji's decision.
Togo Shiba
Despite their position as enemies, Shiba was not above sparing Enji and Tamaki after defeating them for the second time on the condition that they focus on re-educating the children of the Sazanami Clan away from sacrificing themselves for the Rakuzaichi like Tenri.
Plot
Past
Enji was born 29 years ago. As with all members of the Sazanami Clan, Enji was raised to serve the clan and the auction above all else from a young age. At some point in time in the past, Enji was promoted to a member of the Tou.
Rakuzaichi Arc
When Chihiro and Shiba attacked the Sazanami Estate to pry information regarding Shinuchi from Kyora, Enji was summoned alongside Tenri and Tamaki to his father's side. Enji, Tenri and Tamaki then prepared to engage Chihiro, activating Isou.[2] Kyora announced they were the hunters now, and as Shiba proposed retreating to Chihiro his phone began ringing, Shiba immediately teleporting to Hinao at Chihiro's insistence. Enji, Tenri and Tamaki then readied blades and attacked Chihiro, the battle moving outside the building, with Kyora quickly following. Chihiro activated Nishiki and quickly slashed through one of Enji's swords.[3]
The Tou begin battling Chihiro
As Chihiro swiftly sliced through Tenri's blades, Enji aimed a shockwave at Chihiro but Chihiro dodged out of the way. Tenri baited Chihiro into attacking him before using a shockwave to halt his momentum and leave Chihiro in place for his siblings to attack, Enji readying a shockwave and Tamaki a sword. Shiba then teleported in with Soya, who was readying a shockwave of his own, Enji and Soya's clashing shockwaves sending them in opposite directions while Chihiro parried Tamaki's assault.
The four Tou members prepared to attack again, but were interrupted as Kyora summoned Hakuri, having realised his role in allowing Chihiro and Shiba to arrive. Holding him hostage, Kyora then agreed to a trade with Chihiro; Hakuri for Enten. Following the trade, Chihiro, Hakuri and Shiba left the estate.[4]
One week later, on the day of the Rakuzaichi, Kyora assigned the Tou to the corridor leading to the Naginojoen door rather than their usual position on the stage. Enji and his siblings debated the reasoning, and concluded that it was likely in case of intruders such as Chihiro Rokuhira, who was likely to know about the door, Enji maintaining that they simply needed to focus on protecting the Naginojoen from outsiders. Hakuri then poked his head out on the other end of the room, prompting Soya to chase after him while the remaining three Tou members were suddenly faced with Shiba's presence, and prepared to engage him.[5]
The three Tou members fought hard but were ultimately overpowered by Shiba, who held a cigarette to Tenri's eye as he asked how to open the door. Wanting to save Tenri's life, Enji spoke up and said he would reveal how to open the door, but Tenri refused, not willing to let them interfere with the Rakuzaichi. Kyora then summoned a piece of semi-stabilised Datenseki by Tenri, Tenri grabbing onto and using the Datenseki, to Enji's dismay. Tenri stood up, now with a manifestation of spirit energy next to him in the form of a jellyfish.[6]
Tenri re-engaged Shiba, who was surprised by the sudden increase in Tenri's strength and speed, Tenri's shockwaves now dealing massive damage to the surrounding area. Seeing Tenri fight and noticing Shiba wasn't teleporting, Enji speculated Shiba's teleportation had a limit and engaged Shiba though was quickly struck back. Kyora then summoned a barrage of swords in front of Tenri, who launched them at Shiba with a large shockwave, but Chihiro arrived and halted the blades in place using Yui. While Chihiro and Shiba regrouped, Enji moved beside Tenri in preparation to face the two.[7]
Chihiro used Mei: Shred in order to keep up with Tenri's speed, the two disappearing into rapid blurs clashing across the area. Enji was quickly knocked to the ground by Shiba, the two watching the clash and Enji having difficulty tracking their motion. Tenri sensed an opportunity and lunged with an attack, but Chihiro zipped behind him and slashed towards his neck. Tenri's sudden murmur for his father momentarily slowed Chihiro's blade, just as Tenri's body could no longer handle the overabundance of spirit energy and exploded, Enji begrudgingly noted that Tenri's time was up.[8]
With Tenri dead, Enji presumably informed Chihiro, Shiba and a descending Hakuri how to open the door. He then went back to an awakening Tamaki, and as she asked about the intruders he informed her that they were heading to the emergency door, the two quickly leaving to stop them before they could enter the Storehouse. The two entered the Naginojoen only to see the same sight as Chihiro, Shiba and Hakuri: the emergency door had been destroyed. Enji and Tamaki were shocked to see that what they had been protecting was broken the entire time, wondering why Kyora wouldn't have told them.
Shiba spares Enji and Tamaki.
With no other choice, Enji and Tamaki decided not to let Tenri's death be for nothing, preparing to activate Isou. The two ran forth and Shiba shouted to his allies that they should retreat, though Hakuri instead told him to transport himself and Chihiro the auction hall.[9] With Chihiro and Hakuri gone, Shiba handily defeated Enji and Tamaki once more, and as Shiba held him by the collar Enji choked out for Shiba to kill him, as he could never face Tenri should he survive. Shiba refused, telling him and Tamaki to go back to the Sazanami children still living on the estate in order to ensure they didn't undergo the same fate as Tenri.[10]
Abilities
Overall Abilities: Enji is a distinguished sorcerer from the Sazanami Clan, a family renowned for its powerful sorcery, and is a master of his family's signature technique, Isou. Enji is a member of the Tou, distinguishing his status as one of the family's four best sorcerers.[11]
As a sorcerer, Enji has accomplished the first stage of spirit energy usage, being able to use his spirit energy to strengthen his body to superhuman levels.
Sorcery
Enji fires a shockwave towards Chihiro
Isou (
Equipment
Twin Blades
During his first fight with Chihiro, Enji wielded two blades to clash with Chihiro. After Chihiro broke his swords, Enji switched to primarily using Isou against him, indicating a preference for his sorcery over bladed weaponry.
Etymology
The name Enji Sazanami (漣円慈 Sazanami Enji) can be broken down as follows:
- The surname Sazanami (漣) means 'ripples'.
- His given name Enji (円慈) consists of the characters for 'circle' and 'mercy'. May refer to Shiba's mercy in sparing him.
References
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Volume 4 .
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 23.
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 24.
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 25.
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 30.
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 33 (Pages 9-17).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 34 (Pages 8-17).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 36 (Pages 15-18).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 37 (Pages 1-7).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 44 (Page 12).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 25 (Page 3).