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“Here's how we break the deadlock. We kill you. Then we entrust Enten to a member of the Kamunabi. Clearly that's best for the Kamunabi, right?” ― Izaru threatens Chihiro's life.[source]
Izaru (
Appearance
Izaru is a tall man with light-coloured hair and distinctive mutton chops. He wears the standard Kamunabi attire.
Personality
Despite his position as one of the leaders of the Kamunabi, Izaru is brash, mean-spirited and quick to anger, with little-to-no composure and an almost perpetual scowl on his face. This does not change in tense situations such as attacks on Kamunabi Headquarters, and when a subordinate opposed his decisions by declaring their actions pointless, Izaru immediately began shouting at him to pull himself together.
Izaru's anger is especially prominent in his interactions with anyone involved with the Rokuhira family, as he despised the stubbornness and audacity of Kunishige and Chihiro in marching straight up to the Kamunabi and demanding to assist. After news arose of Chihiro's existence within the Kamunabi's high echelon for the first time, Izaru immediately turned to Azami and accused him of covering Chihiro's existence up, moving on to further blame Azami's covering up of Chihiro and Kunishige's location for the Enchanted Blades' theft.
Even with his hot-bloodedness, Izaru is still rational, if pragmatic. When the option to use Shinuchi came up in a Kamunabi meeting discussing how they should move against Samura, Izaru opposed the decision, stating that Tobimune's Owl would detect it. He added that Samura would lock the Hishaku in a deadlock with him as well, so they could make the most of the two looking at each other to ambush them. Izaru vocally lamented the lost opportunity in the fact that Iori was reportedly dead, as they could no longer use her as a hostage against Samura.
During the Hishaku's attack on Kamunabi Headquarters, Izaru headed to the Core Station and fluidly coordinated operations with the Core Station team. There, he prioritised the Hishaku's elimination above all else and did not lose his composure for an instant, even viewing the arising of traitors within the Kamunabi as simply an opportunity to weed them out. Even when a traitor did arise among the supporting sorcerers at the Core Station, Izaru quickly incapacitated them and coordinated with the Core Station Vessel to arrange the elite divisions in response to the Hishaku's new position.
Relationships
Kamunabi
Core Station Vessel
Eight years in the past, it was Izaru who led the panel judging whether the future Vessel should be granted the position, and decided to do so.
During the Hishaku's assault on Kamunabi Headquarters, Izaru descended to the Core Station to coordinate Kamunabi countermeasures with the Core Station team. The Vessel and Izaru communicated the situation fluidly as they decided on new courses of action as the situation unfolded. The Vessel ultimately defers to Izaru's judgement as his superior, and in return, Izaru relies on the Vessel's surveillance to report new developments in the battle.
When the Vessel offered his own death in order to end the discord between two Vessels interfering with communications, Izaru was confused but quickly decided to acquiesce after the Vessel voiced his determination to at least die in the right way. Izaru voiced his respect for the Vessel's decision.
Soshiro Azami
Kunishige Rokuhira
Chihiro Rokuhira
Plot
Past
Izaru was familiar with Kunishige Rokuhira from a meeting between those that would become Kamunabi leaders and Kunishige, having already despised his apparent arrogance and stubbornness at the time.[1]
Eight years ago, Izaru was among the judges that chose a candidate for the role of Core Station Vessel.[2]
Vs. Sojo Arc
Meeting after Sojo's death
On the 24th of November, 10 days after Genichi Sojo's death, Izaru attended a meeting of the Kamunabi leaders to discuss their next course of action. After Azami reported the deaths of Sojo and four members of the Anti-Cloud Gouger Special Forces, Izaru noted the squad's defeat of Sojo and apparent retrieval of Cloud Gouger had contributed greatly to their plans, especially in regards to obtaining Shinuchi. Discussions continued and Kasen revealed Kazane's report which stated Chihiro Rokuhira, not the Kamunabi, had killed Sojo and retrieved Cloud Gouger, and was wielding a seventh Enchanted Blade.
Izaru then caught Azami's attention and noted while there had been reports of a seventh blade, there had been no information on Chihiro. However, he proclaimed Azami knew the truth of the Chihiro situation from the beginning, blaming the Enchanted Blades' theft on those who hid Kunishige and Chihiro after the war. Kudo shot back that they had only done so because people like Izaru wanted to steal the Enchanted Blades for their own purposes. Interrupting the argument, Kasen reminded the group that they had argued enough before and their mission was to retrieve the Enchanted Blades. After ordering for an internal investigation to be conducted sometime later, Kasen ordered for Hiyuki Kagari to be dispatched after Chihiro.[3]
Sword Bearer Assassination Arc
Leaders' meeting with Chihiro
Following the end of the Rakuzaichi on the 9th of November, Chihiro offered to join the Kamunabi, and was escorted alongside Hakuri Sazanami by Hiyuki and Tafuku into the meeting room where the leaders had gathered to discuss his proposal. The leaders recapped his proposal of transporting the Enchanted Blades to their bearers through Hakuri's Storehouse sorcery and Ichiki asked if Hakuri could demonstrate, but Tafuku stated he had exhausted himself over yesterday's events, Hiyuki also defending the potency of his sorcery.
Izaru asked about Cloud Gouger and Chihiro replied it was destroyed. Scoffing, Izaru changed the topic to questioning Chihiro's identity as Kunishige's son, asking him if he recognised some of the leaders present who had helped Kunishige hide. Chihiro replied that he had not and added they should focus on what he had done rather than who he was. Angered by Chihiro's brazenness, Izaru stood and noted lowly that his arrogance was proof enough he was Kunishige's son, vocally doubting whether Chihiro would return the Enchanted Blades to the Kamunabi should he attain them. Readying his sorcery, Izaru proposed they kill Chihiro to transfer his contract with Enten to a Kamunabi member instead.
The meeting was interrupted by a Kamunabi member reporting Kokugoku Hot Spring, Sanso of Yoji Uruha, had been attacked by sorcerers with Enchanted-Blade-like spirit energy manifestations and a member of the Hishaku. Chihiro voiced that the Kamunabi needed immediate fighting power and proposed himself as their best option. Izaru was enraged but Kasen decided to accept Chihiro's proposal before ordering him and Hakuri to locate and protect Uruha, though threatened that the Kamunabi would not give him free reign with the Enchanted Blades.[4]
Meeting after the events at Senkutsuji Temple
At 3:14 am on the 10th of November, the Kamunabi leaders met and Azami relayed Uruha and Samura's final conversation as overheard by Hakuri, Izaru aggravated that Samura had betrayed them. The topic of Hakuri's current situation was brought up and Azami noted he was in intensive care to see if they could treat his exhausted sorcery.
The notion of using Shinuchi was brought up but Izaru dismissed it given Owl's presence over Japan and how its scale and resulting diminishing of its sensory strength meant it was only for detecting Enchanted Blades. He reckoned they could trust Samura's statement would monitor the Hishaku's usage of the blades and confirmed with Kudo and the leader with sideburns that the other two sword bearers had been hidden. He proposed that they let Samura and the Hishaku wear on each other and ambush them when the time was right. The leaders then arranged Chihiro and the Masumi as a force against Samura.[5]
Around the 13th of November, Izaru informed a Kamunabi member about the possibility of using a hostage against Samura; or rather, the lack of possibility, given his only weakness, his daughter, had died from heart disease over two years ago.[6]
On the morning of the 14th of November, after Owl had disappeared, the Kamunabi leaders met and Azami relayed the Masumi's report that they had encountered Samura and three members of the Hishaku who had Kumeyuri with them. The Surveillance Sorcerer then reported that the Hishaku were attacking the Headquarters' barrier, and Kasen ordered for the barrier to be taken down around the first level to avoid battle taking place on the streets. Doing so, the Surveillance Sorcerer detected seven entrants which Ichiki reasoned were the seven remaining members of the Hishaku, and the leaders quickly assembled a force to intercept them, Azami volunteering.[7]
Izaru later walked to the headquarters' barrier core station, asking about the situation after hearing about an agent exploding into branches. The Core Station Vessel informed him they were investigating the cause and Shinuchi was still secure. Noting the Hishaku were attacking from within, Izaru maintained they had to protect four things above all else: three among them being the barrier's core station, Shinuchi, the Master Swordsman. The Core Station Vessel made an announcement across the facility regarding the fifty detected seeded agents and ordered for all personnel to stay out of Hakuri's way and not move.
Izaru claims that they have the opportunity to eliminate their enemy.
As casualties continued to increase, the Core Station Vessel noticed something strange. Izaru reasoned there was likely a second group of traitors, more willing than the seeded agents to work with the Hishaku and the ones who had supplied the information on the agents' families to the Hishaku in the first place. One of the six supporting sorcerers shouted that the situation was hopeless given how they had no picture of their enemies and the Hishaku did, but Izaru shut him down, ordering that they refocus on the situation and stating they would know their enemies soon after the Vessel identified them, and could take the opportunity to eliminate the traitors.[8]
At around 10:00 am, seeing one of the six supporting sorcerers, to Izaru's left, anxiously and repeatedly look at the clock, Izaru immediately grew suspicious at how he was so oddly concerned about time. The sorcerer hastily brought down a portion of the barrier outside the Threat Elimination Grounds shortly before Izaru summoned beads and used them to fling the sorcerer into a wall. Izaru quickly demanded to know if the situation was still as normal with the Vessel and the Vessel responded there was a split-second disruption, but he had restored it; however, the positions of the five Hishaku members outside the Threat Elimination Grounds had shifted to the west wing of Level 5.[9]
With the traitor tied to the wall, Izaru expressed his distaste the Hishaku had not simply gone to the Threat Elimination Grounds before ordering for all elite units to be called in to surround the Hishaku. The Vessel was concerned that they still hadn't identified the remaining seeded individuals but Izaru noted they didn't have time; they would simply watch to see how they reacted after the command was given out. Izaru confirmed the lower-ranking members should continue to stay in the place while the elites attacked to the west, keeping away from the centre; no matter the damage to the building, they had to eliminate the Hishaku.[10]
After Yura activated Magatsumi, Izaru requested confirmation from the Vessel that Shinuchi's power was being used, and why the prominent spirit energy above, their reinforcements, hadn't come in yet. The Vessel stated that the barrier had been interfered with, and communications to the outside had been cut off. Izaru accusingly eyed the remaining supporting sorcerers, but the Vessel spoke up and stated the issue was not from one of them; there was a second Vessel in the building. Izaru immediately used a nearby lantern to relay the situation across Headquarters regarding the second Vessel. The Vessel noted he would have noticed if the enemy Vessel had been at Headquarters the whole time, so it must be one of the Hishaku. Izaru then relayed across Headquarters the command to eliminate the Hishaku at all costs, no matter who stood in their way.[11]
Izaru asked the Core Station Vessel if he could detect which of the Hishaku was the second Vessel, but the Vessel replied that Shinuchi's sheer power was interfering with his field. Izaru ordered to the complex to focus on eliminating all the Hishaku for the time being.[12]
Overseeing the situation, the Vessel stated that Izaru needed to kill him, as it was the only option left. If he were to die, the Hishaku's Vessel would gain full control of the Headquarters barrier, but the discord from the presence of Vessels would vanish and communications would be re-established. Izaru viewed his decision as admirable and readied his sorcery, but was surprised as Hokuto attacked from behind. Izaru quickly redirected his attack to force Hokuto through a wall before leaping out to confront him. Before they could clash, however, the Vessel disappeared, to Hokuto and Izaru's confusion, and Hakuri appeared in his place, feigning confusion at where the Vessel had gone, having in truth transported him into the Storehouse.[13]
Abilities
Overall Abilities: As one of the Kamunabi's leaders, Izaru is a highly skilled individual.[14]
As a sorcerer, Izaru has accomplished the first stage of spirit energy usage, being able to use his spirit energy to strengthen his body to superhuman levels.
Enhanced Speed and Reflexes: Izaru was able to respond to Hishaku swordsman Hokuto's attack fast enough to blast Hokuto straight through a wall using his sorcery and pursue him outside.[15]
Sorcery
Izaru captures a traitor
Prayer Beads: Izaru can create and manipulate prayer beads at will. He can use them as projectiles and fling them at people with great force, sufficient enough to blast Hokuto through a wall.[16] The beads can also serve as potent restraints.[17]
Etymology
亥 : Means 'boar', specifically a 'pig' in the Chinese Zodiac.猿 : Means 'monkey'.
Trivia
References
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 46 (Pages 11, 17).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 101 (Page 6).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 18 (Pages 11-19).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 46.
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 60 (Pages 1-4, 17-19).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 61 (Pages 8-9).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 78 (Pages 14-18).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 81 (Pages 1-5, 12-14).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 87 (Pages 13-15).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 88 (Page 1-2).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 97.
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 98 (Page 9).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 101 (Pages 4-13).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 80 (Page 3).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 101 (Page 8).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 101 (Page 8).
- ↑ Kagurabachi Manga: Chapter 88 (Page 1).