Iori Samura/Synopsis

Overview

Synopsis

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Synopsis

Past

Iori was born 17 years ago to Seiichi Samura and his wife Inori. Sometime after her birth, Samura and Inori divorced due to Samura's belief that the blood on his hands and his sins rendered him incapable of being a proper father.

Iori's past life with her father.

Nine years ago, when Iori was 8, Inori suffered an illness and was hospitalised, calling Samura and asking him to take care of Iori for some time. While Samura initially protested, Inori told him to look to the future instead of being hung up on the past, and Samura agreed. Iori was initially on bad terms with Samura, Inori having told her about how Samura had abandoned them and kept focusing at the past. The two often competed in competitions and contests of the sorts, Iori closing her eyes in apparent fairness to her father. Eventually, the two grew closer, and one such contest turned into a collaborative effort to make a bento for Inori, who was thrilled after tasting it.

Not long afterwards, Inori died and Samura began permanently taking care of Iori, determined to care for her in Inori's stead. Sometime later, Yura arrived at the Samura residence and conversed with Samura. Iori walked outside just as Yura left, asking if Samura would be leaving somewhere. Samura assured her he would not be leaving.

Sometime later, Iori began learning swordsmanship at the dojo where Samura worked, being extremely skilled so long as she was closing her eyes, concentrating only on wielding her sword rather than any disrupting thoughts. She told Samura she would be a great fighter in order to protect him, and Samura told her he couldn't wait.

Samura also began teaching Iori how to use swords at their house, Iori believing if she was able to get stronger and drive off everything opposing her, she would be able to stay with her father.

Iori facing constant harassment for being Samura's daughter.

Iori began going to school using her mother's family name (though her heritage was widely known) and six months passed after Inori's death. Due to Yura having leaked information regarding the truth of the Seitei War and the Master Swordsman within the town, the students and teachers were positioned against her and her father, and she faced constant harassment from the students and ignorance from the teachers. Iori decided to hide the truth from her father, worrying that if he found out his presence was hurting her he would try to separate the two of them, and she wanted to continue living with her father.

On one occasion, Samura asked Iori how her school was going and she lied that it had gone well; they had learnt about him in school and she had been praised many times. Samura reminded her there was no pressure for her to become like himself and patted her head only to notice a bump on her head. Iori reluctantly revealed she had gotten into a fight after one student had called her father a killer, revealing she, like Inori, had respected Samura for his actions defending the nation regardless of his personal actions in regards to her family. Iori voiced that she trained every day in order to be like him and protect people alongside him. Samura thanked her but told her not to overdo it.

On another day, Iori's school called Samura to take her home early, and she told Samura she just wanted to skip school. As the two approached their house, Iori saw a pile of garbage bags piled up against the wall and words of abuse graffitied onto the walls themselves. Iori hastily gave Samura garbage bags and sent him off while she wiped out the words, tears in her eyes as she told herself to stay strong. Samura would find out the truth soon after and, believing Iori would only suffer so long as he was around, sent her to live with her aunt.

Iori reflects on her life as Samura's daughter.

After Kunishige Rokuhira's death three years ago, the Kamunabi began surveillance on Iori given her relation to Samura. Six months later, Samura ordered the Masumi to fake Iori's death and obfuscate her identity using sorcery, preventing anyone from realising her lineage; including Iori and Samura himself, in order to bring her away from the Kamunabi's surveillance. Ro gave Iori a note where Samura apologised for bringing Iori nothing but pain, which brought Iori to tears; while Iori had suffered in her life in part due to her relation, she still valued the time spent with her father.

The Masumi sorcerers successfully completed the sealing, news of Iori's apparent death from acute heart failure arising on April 16th and Iori beginning a new life as Iori Yoshiura in Kyoto, believing her father had left and she had lived with her mother her whole life.

On April of the current year, the Japanese school term began, and the seating plan had Iori allocated next to Ikura. While several of Iori's classmates were verbally critical of him, Iori greeted Ikura cordially and kindly, surprising him. The usually-solitude-preferring Ikura chose to respond in kind to Iori, and the two later became friends.

Sword Bearer Assassination Arc

The seal on Iori starts to break.

The extremely noticeable activation of Owl on the 10th of November had caused Iori's school to close for the 11th and 12th, reopening after the Kamunabi confirmed it was not dangerous. During a break between classes on the 13th, Iori's classmate Ikura claimed the object in the sky was a sign the world was ending. Iori then groaned, her friend asking if her lack of sleep was troubling her again, caused by a dream Iori had been having three days in a row that she couldn't remember. Ikura reckoned Iori's insomnia could be caused by stress or something bothering her. Thinking back to the sky, Iori abruptly remembered a memory of her father, voicing her speculation whether the sky was having a unique effect on her. Thinking Ikura's oddities were rubbing off on her, Iori and her friend set aside the thought.

Iori then looked out the window and saw Kuguri cut down a teacher outside before jumping into the room and demanding Samura's location. Toto also entered and began taking blood samples of various female students, asking Kuguri to round up the second-year girls and not kill them. Ikura then stood up and confronted the two Hishaku members for their actions, prompting Kuguri to slash down at him. Iori immediately stood in the way, remembering Toto's statement to not kill the girls. As she stood, terrified, Chihiro entered and confronted Kuguri while Ro escorted her out of the room.

Iori asks the Masumi to tell her what she's forgotten.

Sumi confirmed the seal on Iori's memories was breaking down, hence why the Hishaku had picked up a signal, Ro realising Iori was unconsciously trying to break the seal. Iori asked for answers regarding the situation, and Ro told her he would explain later and she would be under the Masumi's protection for the time being. Sumi unveiled a motorcycle from the scroll and she and Iori began driving away, Kuguri and Toto quickly noticing and pursuing in a car. As Ro detonated the car, Kuguri began chasing on foot, bisecting a bus in order to maximise his efficiency. As Sumi's motorcycle approached Chihiro, standing on the road, Kuguri's blade stabbed out towards Iori, Chihiro narrowly grabbing a katana from the motorcycle and blocking the attack.

While Chihiro held off Kuguri, Sumi and Iori began making more ground, though at one point Kuguri began ignoring Chihiro in favour of charging towards the motorcycle once again. Through Chihiro's usage of the Iai White Purity Style, he was able to catch up and successfully delay Kuguri further, allowing Sumi and Iori to successfully get away to the Kyoto Bloodshed Hotel, a hotel sealed with barrier sorcery to block sorcery-based detection methods. Sumi booked a room with the hotel's general manager Yojiro Sengoku and the Masumi, Chihiro and Iori entered.

Iori thanked the Masumi and Chihiro for their assistance, recognising Chihiro from the TV, wondering if the claim he was a killer was a misunderstanding. Chihiro confirmed he had killed people, but would ensure Iori's protection was achieved, to Ro's exasperation at Chihiro ruining his first impression. Ro told Iori in 24 hours she could return to her normal life, but Iori demanded an explanation for what had happened, asking who 'Samura' was, knowing she couldn't return without realising what important fact of her life she was missing. Begrudgingly, Ro revealed the Masumi had sealed her memories to keep her safe from her pursuers, stating the problem would become a non-issue the next day.

Iori was visibly discomforted at the idea of simply forgetting, recalling a memory of someone holding her hand. To the side, Chihiro contemplated how would he feel if he never remembered his father, and realises he wouldn't trade those memories for anything. He proposed the idea that they tell Iori the truth and let her decide if she wanted to forget or not. Chihiro then sat down and told Iori he would talk about Seiichi Samura, the person she was remembering, telling her the choice to forget or not was hers, and stated he would ensure her safety no matter what.

Ro reveals the truth of Iori's identity to her.

Chihiro immediately clarified Seiichi Samura was her father, and Iori's true name was Iori Samura. Iori recognised Samura from the Seitei War, and Ro noted that if someone wanted to blackmail him into doing something, they would aim to take her hostage. Thus Iori's memories were sealed to the world, to eliminate that risk. With this information, Iori slowly began recalling information from her past, before asking where Samura was now. Ro told her he had forgotten about her as well, and Iori was distraught why Samura had abandoned her when he could've protected her. Another memory then emerges in her mind, one of death threats and abuse graffitied onto the wall of her father's house.

In the present, Chihiro and Ro added that Samura left her behind not just because of the danger, but because of the people who did not view Samura as a hero, which would've resulted in her life being a persistent struggle. Overwhelmed by the memories and information, Iori fell unconscious, clutching her head. Chihiro and Ro helped her to the room's bed, where she slept until dawn on the 14th. When she woke up, Chihiro was in the room, and Iori asked whether he had slept and where the Masumi were. Chihiro replied the Masumi were finalising the seal and he had traded places on guard duty through the night to practise sword techniques and learn battle techniques from the Masumi.

Iori struggles to choose between her original and current life.

Iori expressed her surprise that Chihiro was so normalised to violence, thinking back to her life's 'major conflicts' that were nowhere near as dangerous. She commented her options were truly mutually exclusive, and embracing the truth would be giving up her normal life. Seeing her struggle with her decision, Chihiro revealed his lineage as Kunishige Rokuhira's son, and their circumstances were similar, though unlike himself, Iori had a choice where she wanted to go. The door rang and Chihiro opened it to find a yakuza member with a knife. Disarming him quickly, Chihiro found out people had called the yakuza with promises of money if they were to attack the room.

Seeing more yakuza in the hallway, Chihiro told Iori to stay put before systematically dispatching the yakuza. Opening the door afterwards, Iori was shocked to see the bloodied mess, asking if Chihiro was afraid of killing people. As he moved to the elevator and hit the button, Chihiro firmly stated he was not, another reason why the two of them were different and why he, unlike Iori, did not have a choice where his life would lead. He voiced that there was no right answer; only what Iori wanted to do. Iori slowly replied she wanted to return to her school life. The elevator door opened to reveal Hiruhiko, standing with Sengoku's severed head in hand.

Hiruhiko briefly greeted Iori, thanking her for being born as a weakness in regards to her father that could be exploited. Hiruhiko immediately threw Sengoku's head and slashed towards a terrified Iori, Chihiro hastily blocking and forcing Hiruhiko back into the elevator. After seeing another elevator ticking downwards, Chihiro cut the elevator wire and sent the elevator crashing down. Iori was shocked that Chihiro seemed to be abandoning her, especially as more yakuza emerged in the hall, but the elevator near opened to reveal Ro, who quickly killed the yakuza and began escorting Iori to the roof.

On the way, Iori was speculative whether the seal would completely work, given how much had happened. Ro clarified the memories of the previous days for all civilians involved would be unmemorable. He added that the Masumi were to blame for the seal breaking in the first place, having been unaware of the importance of parent-child relations. After talking with her, the Masumi had developed a better understanding, and would create a complete seal. The only thing that was missing was the key for the hotel's barrier-powering lantern, which the Masumi had agreed with Sengoku to use as a power source. Iori told Ro that Chihiro had headed downstairs, and Ro placed his trust in Chihiro that he would retrieve the key.

Upon reaching the roof, Ro asked Iori on her choice. After pondering how she not only wanted to turn her back on the horrific nature of the truth, but her father seemed fine with forgetting her, she mused over how she was the only one feeling emotional loss. She then hesitantly told Ro she had made her decision and wished to return. As they advanced to the seal's location, Iori continued to struggle internally regarding her decision, knowing her attempts to break the seal had led people to attack those around her, a growing sense of guilt arising within her.

As Kuguri and several yakuza, including seemingly-brainwashed yakuza approaching from the outside and the hotel's clientele from the elevators, attacked the roof, Iori became more overrun with guilt after witnessing the Masumi risking their lives for her, knowing she would continue to bring harm around her if she were to retain her memories. Believing the world to be better off without her no matter her decision, Iori broke down and clutched her head, tears flooding her eyes.

Iori remembers her swordsmanship.

Suddenly, Ikura called out to her from a nearby elevator, shouting that she had been an important friend to him and that she had to come back safely. Iori suddenly realised who she should be, Ikura's plea sparking within her a desire to protect the ordinary life Ikura was a part of, and the seal on her memories shattered entirely. Memories of expertise in sword fighting arose in Iori's mind, and she rapidly snatched a katana and darted forward to block an attack aimed at Ikura, eyes now shut.

The desire to protect her peaceful life resonated within Iori as her original strength she had forgotten returned to her. With expert skill, Iori severed the fingertips of every yakuza around her in an instant, non-lethally disarming her attackers. A watching Chihiro, who had just ascended the elevator alongside Hiruhiko, analysed Iori's use of the Iai White Purity Style which, while not as lightning-fast as her father's, was an ideal model of the style to learn from. Chihiro set aside his surprise at seeing Iori use a katana and sliced down Hiruhiko, as Iori then opened her eyes.

Ro realised Iori had completely broken the seal and Chihiro turned in shock just as Toto teleported Hiruhiko away. Iori thanked Ikura for coming as more yakuza began to attack her, and Chihiro rushed over to her location before the two swiftly cut down the yakuza approaching them. Chihiro asked if Samura taught her swordfighting which Iori affirmed, though it was her first time with a real sword. She voiced that so long as she closed her eyes and didn't see the blood, she should fine, Chihiro slightly taken aback.

Looking up, Iori saw Owl in the sky and recognised it as the work of her father, and Iori lamented how her feelings would never end up reaching him given he wasn't coming to her after remembering her. Chihiro told her it was not meaningless and that she could reach him, before taking off his glove. Iori shakily said that even for a moment, she wanted to see her father.

The reunion of the Samura family.

Chihiro immediately unsheathed Enten just as a nearby Hiruhiko activated Kumeyuri. Iori stared skyward as Owl disappeared and black feathers fell from overhead, Samura emerging with Tobimune active and two gigantic black wings keeping him aloft. Samura landed on the nearby scaffolding and activated Crow before swiftly moving next to Hiruhiko and Toto and decapitating the two shortly after Hiruhiko used Banquet. Samura asked how Iori's seal had broken and Chihiro told him Iori had done so on her own. As Samura told the Masumi to redo the seal, Iori shouted up at him, asking if he would just ignore her after so many years.

The two were interrupted by their surroundings appearing to rupture and move nauseously around them; a hallucination caused by Banquet that was also affecting Chihiro, Ikura and the Masumi. The unaffected yakuza moved in to attack a disoriented Iori and Chihiro yelled at Samura to protect her as he set off after Hiruhiko. Samura did so, slashing down the yakuza in one swift motion. As Banquet's effects faded, Iori stared nervously at her father, standing closer to her than he had in years.

The corpses of yakuza began moving on the roof and more came expelling from the elevators, the work of Hiruhiko's Play. Samura began fending them off but was distracted by Hiruhiko's focused Banquet-caused illusions, and several yakuza began approaching the dazed Iori before Samura launched himself into the way of over a dozen blades, suffering several fatal wounds. Iori was horrified but Samura was glad he was the only one hurt, promptly using Suzaku to heal his wounds, defeating the remaining corpses before leaving to hunt down Hiruhiko. With muted relief on her face, Iori regrouped with the Masumi and Ikura.