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Shinichi was born a child of little consequence some sixteen years ago in the city of Wakayama. A child of the streets, young Shinichi, then simply called Shin, knew little of his parents, as his sire had never stayed long enough with his mother to know of his child, nor did his mother live long enough to be more than a wispy shadow in the memory of her son. It was only by the generosity of the city's inhabitants that Shin survived day in and day out, keeping him just fed enough through acts of charity that he only scarcely needed to turn to thievery to keep himself alive.

A pitiful existence, the life expectancy of orphans in the tumultuous Meiji period was never particularly good, and in a land where demons roam when the sun sinks beyond the horizon, dirty urchins nobody would miss are prime livestock. Shin was no stranger to them, though he only knew them as the "black ones", for in the sea of vibrant souls that was Wakayama, their corrupt existences looked nothing less than dark voids to the boy. He knew to avoid them at the first sign, lest he disappear like so many of his ilk, devoured by the darkness of their souls.

True Sight

Shinichi was born with the ability to see a person's true being; their soul. Manifesting as a fiery aura around them, he can learn a person's nature by noting its hue, and predict their emotional state or thought patterns through direct observance. Using this, he is capable of knowing when someone is lying to him, can accurately discern the intention behind words or actions, and can predict an opponent's moves by observing the agitated flickering that represents their killing intent.

This ability is especially useful as a member of the demon hunting corp, as the soul of a demon manifests itself to him as an inky black blotch, allowing him to easily differentiate their kind from humans.

Breath of Thunder

A breath style that channels heaven's wrath to slay the enemies of man. It bestows the user with incredible strength and agility to match that of a demon. Focusing on delivering attacks at impossible speed, the style leaves little room for thought and relies on pure instinct and lightning quick reflexes.

• First Style: Thunder Clap Flash - The user dashes forward and slashes at their opponent with incredible speed.
  
  • Forked Thunder Flash - The user utilizes the incredible speed of the first style to rush forward and deliver a passing slash to the opponent. The instant they stop the user then turns and delivers a follow up strike from behind.
• Second Style: Lightning Ball - The swordsman is able to generate a series of five straight thunder attacks all performed in a single moment.
• Third Style: Buzzing Mosquito Thunder - The swordsman is able to generate a spinning wave of lightning in all directions for a damaging attack.
• Fourth Style: Distant Thunder - The user is able to generate a ranged thunder strike at a distance.
• Fifth Style: Heat Lightning - The user is able to generate slashing attack composed of lightning that cracks skin and burns flesh.
• Sixth Style: Electric Lightning Shower - The swordsman creates a series of thunder strikes that cracks the target's body.

Souma is, to put it lightly, Fake as Fuck. The truth doesn't come naturally to him, as he compulsively feels the need to change how he acts to be more appealing to whoever he's talking to. While this makes him great when dealing with acquaintances and for maintaining more impersonal relationships, this has hampered his ability to make any real friends due to his inability to open up to others.

The persona he puts on is that of the model heir of his family of Demon Hunters, eager and willing to do his duty to the people of Japan by ridding it permanently of the demonic menace that haunts the nights. In truth, however, the only reason that he accepts the call to duty is due to his own position as a Mareichi, or a human of remarkably high-quality blood that demons will always be on the hunt for. Fear and cowardice were some of the driving motivations behind his desire to learn the Breath of Wind from his father, not that he was left with many choices.

However, in the current day, while his fear of demons has not faded in the slightest -especially after the intensity of Final Selection- he has become consumed with an almost suicidal urge to atone for his past failures, and as such, he finds his fears and his facade to momentarily fade in the heat of battle, allowing him to fight free of any inhibitions or cares. The fact that this also seems to include any care for his own well-being is a fact not lost upon those who have witnessed his particular iteration of the Breath of Wind, but he has been allowed to continue as such due to the efficacy he has shown in dispatching of demons.

Souma is a young man defined by expectations, specifically those of his father and others in his clan. As the eldest son of his family, he was to set an example for his siblings and to work hard to bring honor and good reputation to his family. To bring any shame upon them was to be tantamount to striking his parents across their faces openly and was treated with the same amount of tolerance by his father, though his mother tended to try and be a little softer with the boy.

As a result of the immense pressure put on him at a young age to succeed his father as the next Wind Pillar, Souma became a liar. When he was afraid, he would deny it, when he was angry, he'd say he was calm, and so on and so forth. In truth, Souma never wanted to become a Demon Hunter. The thought of facing down inhuman monstrosities terrifies him to this day. However, as a holder of Rare blood, demon's were like to come after him for as long as he lived. Any excuse he possibly could've come up with to not take up the blade was instantly ended by that very real threat. And so, he swallowed his misgivings and his fears, acting like the model son his father craved, that his mother expected, that his little brother's and sisters looked up to. It was a terrible burden to bear in isolation, and he might've lost his mind to the pressure long ago. . . if not for his betrothal to a young woman by the name of Watanabe Takara.

Takara was, to be frank, the child his family wanted. She was a skilled swordswoman, able to pick up and master the Breath of Water with frankly terrifying speed, becoming a Demon Hunter by the age of just 14, and well on her way to be a pillar by that of 16. Not only that, but he was the only person that Souma felt he could truly let his guard down around, the only person who could see his true self. While he held no true romantic feelings for her -a feeling that mutually shared- he'd be lying if he said she was anything less than the most important person in his life. She just got him in a way nobody else did, and he felt blessed to be with her when they were together. She helped keep his sanity through some of his lowest lows, and it was her guiding hand that helped him realize his own talent with the Breath of Wind.

However, while she proved to be his guiding light, Souma was more of a pathetic leech to his friend. It wasn't until they were both nearing adulthood that he had started to look past his own worries to see the darkness that was surrounding his fiance's heart. He'd always felt something was off with her in years past, but he'd been too wrapped up in his own issues, with his own self-pity, to pay attention to his dearest friend as she sank deeper and deeper into depression and despair. The life of a Demon Hunter was a demanding one, filled with death and stress, and she proved to be ill-equipped to fully handle it. Not only that, but oftentimes her own home didn't prove a safe place away from the horrors of her life as often times she'd be asked to . . . accompany her father in the absence of mother shortly before her becoming a Demon Hunter.

Yet she never once gave a complaint, not to Souma, not to the Demon Hunter governing body, not to anyone. Because she felt that, if she could help the people of Japan, she should do her best to do so. If she could help her fiance through his issues, she should do so without complaint. If she could help ease her father's grief at her mother's passing, then what other option did she have but to accept her fate.

This would all culminate in a singular moment that would undoubtedly change their lives forever as well as send them hurtling on separate paths. At the age of 16, both would find themselves assaulted by a powerful demon after the blood of Souma. After an intense battle, several Demon Hunters that had been called to the area lay dead and in pieces, Souma was left with a broken blade, fractured ribs, and scared to the point of nearly wetting himself. And Takra remained standing, barely able to raise her blade but smiling with an almost manic determination. At the time, Souma had thought that she was smiling because she had some sort of plan to defeat the demon, or that she planned to sacrifice her self to end him in a final play. But nowadays. . . nowadays he wonders if she was just planning to die right then and there, with no grand plan, no final gambit, just an inglorious death to put an end to her suffering, her pain, her struggle.

However, it was not a final death that would greet her that night. As the demon looked over her manic grin and determined stance. . . he offered a deal: Become a demon and I promise to let the boy go free. Her skill was too grand to be wasted at such a young age, that the potential she held in her hands was more than worth Souma's blood in payment. Souma shook his head chuckling, thinking that the demon had lost its mind. There was no way that she would do something so heinous, so against everything that their order stood for. The young boy, despite guessing at the truth ever so slightly, remained convinced of the lie that Takara had played out so masterfully. And so, the shock was immeasurable when his best friend turned to look at him. . . and the only emotions left in her eyes was that of deep, dark sadness. Souma tried to stand, to speak up and convince her against the action she was planning to take, but she dispatched him with a hard chop to his neck before he could get much further than a few steps. As he faded out of consciousness, he could swear he could see tears in her eyes as she said two words that would haunt his dreams for the rest of his days.

"I'm sorry."

When he awoke, it was in a hospital bed, with Takara's blade held firmly in his grip. he'd later be told that he'd had such a tight hold on it they'd thought him in rigor mortis at first. While he recovered, he was questioned on what exactly happened that day, for he was the only survivor of the attack. And so, SOuma lied. He told them a harrowing story of the demon slaughtering through Hunter after hunter, citizen after citizen to get to him, hungering for his blood, only for Takara to bravely come forward and, with every ounce of her skill, slay the best before succumbing to both her wounds and the Demon's Blood Art, which caused living matter to decay into naught but dust. He wove the tale masterfully, ensuring there were no holes in logic that could lead one to the tragic truth. And when he proved well enough to travel again, he would only leave the briefest of messages to his family, telling them of his intent to return one day soon. . . and he left.

For 2 years, Souma has traveled all of Japan, to train and to find the resolve in his soul to become a true Demon Hunter. All the while, he searched high and low for Takara, with his mind split on how he would ever react upon meeting her again. PArt of him knows that she had crossed an unforgivable line that day and that it would be giving her mercy to end her life with a decapitation. . . but another side of him wished to just act like it was old times again. to just chat the night away, to be there for each other. He found life without her to be truly painful and stifling, and it was only the thought of possibly being with her again that gave him strrength to move on. It was only in his recent return to his family that he finally knew what had to be done.

And so, Souma has sworn to find Takara, so he can rectify his own failing by killing her. . . and then taking his own life immediately after. It won't be enough to make up for all of the people Takara would've killed by then, nor his own failure in recognizing the cries for help his friend had been sending him all their life. But it was all he could do to make a start.

Enhanced Sense of Taste
Chiyohime has always had an acute sense of taste, much to the chagrin of anyone trying to feed her. As far as abilities go, it's better suited to a world-class chef or food critic than a demon hunter. But in Chiyohime's possession, it has found its place in both fields equally.

In the presence of demons, her mouth fills with a taste akin to, but fundamentally different from, human blood due to the particles in the air. When a demon is about to act, this taste becomes stronger due to residue from various biological processes.

In the presence of food and other substances, her gustatory analytical capability is at the point where she can provide an exact recipe simply by taking a bite. For the most part, she uses this facet in investigative, culinary and alchemical functions, notably in creating poisons and "edible" food. Much like other examples of heightened senses, she can also taste abstractions; although she still scoffs at the idea of tasting something like love in a dish regardless.

Breath Style: Breath of Insect
The Breath of Insect is branched out from the Breath of Flower, which itself is branched out of the Breath of Water. Using this unique breath, the user coats their weapon with poison made from wisteria flower. Although all poisons use a wisteria extract, not all demons are susceptible to the same poison. The sheath of the nichirin blade is used to configure mixtures.

Dance of the Butterfly: Frolic
Dance of the Dragonfly: Compound Eyes Hexagon
Dance of the Centipede: Hundred Leg Bellows
Dance of the Bee Sting: Mere Fluttering

Developed Poison Immunity
Well, what did you expect from a poison user with a habit of tasting things?

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Enhanced Sense of Smell
Yoshitora has been endowed with exceptional olfactory capabilities since birth. Unlike other hunters, his sense of smell is optimized towards detection rather than combat. He can ascertain movements after they have happened by means of trajectory calculation via change in position, but cannot preempt them by smelling the line of interval. In exchange, he can easily determine the positions of demons, humans and so on at long ranges. A tracker's nose, in essence.

Yoshitora claims he keeps his eyes closed to increase the strength of his other senses, but like much of what he says, this is probably meaningless bullshit.

Breath Style: Breath of the Beast
A unique breath developed by modifying an existing Breath with personal observations on how animals exhibit the flow of battle. It requires two swords to use effectively. Notably, it utilizes low stances that are difficult to defend against.

First Fang: Pierce and Extract
Second Fang: Rip and Tear
Third Fang: Rip and Devour
Fourth Fang: Mince to Bits
Fifth Fang: Mad Cleave
Sixth Fang: Jagged Gnaw
Seventh Fang: Spatial Awareness
Eighth Fang: Throwing Slices
Ninth Fang: Godly Undulating Slice
Tenth Fang: Circular Fangs