"Call me if you spot an Oni! I will cut off their arm like with a bamboo goza! Both are pretty easy to do!"
Class: Saber
True Name: Watanabe no Tsuna
Alignment: Lawful Good
Parameters:
Strength: B++
Endurance: B
Agility: A
Mana: B
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: A
Skills
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: C
Grants protection against magical effects. At this rank, Saber can cancel spells with a chant below two verses. He cannot defend against magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals. Although a close friend of Minamoto no Raikou and fellow hunter of apparitions with her, Saber's targets were mostly renowned for their great age and mystery rather than magical prowess.
Riding: C
The ability to ride mounts and vehicles. At this rank, most vehicles and animals can be handled with above average skill. Members of the Phantasmal Species cannot be tamed. An unusually low rank for this Class. Although Saber is actually capable of handling at the very least Monstrous Beasts, the Skill's rank has been lowered due to his unwillingness to involve animals in dangerous battles against Oni. Oni are creatures of rage and gluttony, yearning for the blood of living beings; Saber swore to slay these devils while protecting any innocent, regardless if they are human or animal.
Personal Skills:
Bravery: B
The ability to negate mental interference such as pressure, confusion and fascination. It also has the bonus effect of increasing melee damage. Saber was renowned for his incredible mental fortitude. Many times he found himself in stressing situations such as a seemingly hopeless battle or an ambush when alone, but in all occasions he acted with swiftness and decisiveness.
Mana Burst (Flames): A-
A version of Mana Burst that infuses weapons with Magical Energy that imparts a flame effect. Saber was no magus or demi-god, just a street boy with an incredible and innate affinity for the element of "Flame". Shunned and feared for his inability to control it, he was adopted by the Minamoto clan which saw great potential in him as a monster-slayer; there he found his first and best friend in Minamoto no Raikou. This skill can only be activated in battle; if forced by Command Spell or mental interference to do otherwise, the ability will go out of control.
Mystery Killer: B+
A special Skill provided to those who slayed many supernatural creatures and apparitions. At this rank, a + modifier is granted to Strength when facing monsters such as Youkai or Demons. A second + modifier is received if the foe is an Oni. Minamoto no Raikou and the Four Heavenly Kings were acknowledged as the greatest Mystery-Killers of the nation, but Saber in particular had took down countless Onis: during the massacre of Shuten-douji's gang at Mount Ooe, he waited under the Rashomon Gate and ambushed any Oni who attempted to flee. He also defeated and cut off Ibaraki-douji's arm two times.
Noble Phantasms
Higekiri: Demon Slayer of a Hundred Names
Type: Anti-Unit
Rank: A
A katana forged by the blacksmith Munechika with the help of a Divine Spirit of War.
Although Saber is the Heroic Spirit recognized as the one true wielder of this blade, it actually changed names and owners many times over several hundreds of years. It eventually ended up in the possession of the Minamoto Clan before the leader Mitsunaka gifted it to Saber after he completed his training.
Saber calls it Higekiri, Beard Cutter, because he once witnessed his foster father Mitsunaka decapitating a criminal with a long beard. The sword has been named numerous times: Sun-Nashi, Tomokiri, Higekiri, Onikiri, Shishi no Ko, Tomokiri again and Higekiri once more. When Saber received it, it was already 2000 years old.
Higekiri was crafted with the idea of cutting down any being or object "lesser" than the wielder. When confronted with a "lesser" existence, Higekiri will ignore defense values to cut into them as if they were made of paper.
Servants and Noble Phantasms won't be treated as "lesser" regardless of power or mystery. However, any mundane material will be treated with the same toughness of paper; spells and mana can be "cut" as well, allowing Saber to defend himself from magical attacks he couldn't normally nullify. Magical armors, unless they are Noble Phantasms, will be destroyed as well. Humans are also categorized as "lesser" and while magi don't have a chance against Heroic Spirits anyway, Higekiri will dispell any ward or barrier and ensure a one-hit kill. Although it sounds quite underwhelming as an effect, it disregards the protective Runes a Lancer might employ or the powerful Bounded Fields a Caster might build.
However, there is one powerful type of entities that Higekiri perceives as inferior.
Demons and Monsters. Essentially, the entities who warp the laws of nature and prey on humanity are looked down upon as disgusting beings that have no place in this world. Higekiri cuts into their bodies even more easily than it would with regular humans. For this sort of existence, even a single blow would lead to certain death.
The root of this powerful Anti-Demon effect is due to Saber's reputation. Although Minamoto no Yorimitsu is the greatest Mystery-Killer of the Heian Period, Watanabe no Tsuna is the one entity most feared by Onis. By slaying them and staining Higekiri with their blood, his infamy amongst them grew to legendary levels and they eventually began to perceive him as "superior" to them. The ease with which he defeated them was proof enough and even Higekiri recognized the Demons as "lesser" existences.
Lore and Background
A common orphan. Although the Heian period was relatively peaceful, such a sight was something that all eras and nations shared. He was naturally avoided by others, but even those living through the same conditions as him treated him as an outcast.
He was no magus and had no divine ancestry, but he was gifted with an affinity for "Flames". He had no control over it, so he couldn't even take advantage of his abilities to have an easier life.
He was noticed by Minamoto no Mitsunaka when he passed through the Watanabe area in the Settsu Province. The man had abandoned his daughter Ushi-Gozen, but saw the potential in her powers as an Oni and reclaimed her after renaming her Raikou. As he was returning her home, he happened to take an interest in a street boy with unusual abilities. Since he wasn't sure if Raikou could control her Oni blood, he decided to prepare a back-up and thus adopted the boy, naming him Watanabe no Tsuna.
Months later, Raikou succeeded in separating her demonic self from her humanity. There was no need for Tsuna anymore, but it turned out that the ex-orphan was quite adept at swordsmanship. Moreover, he became Raikou's first friend and Mitsunaka did not wish to unsettle her and cause her Oni blood to resurface.
Tsuna and Raikou spent their childhood and adolescence together as the reckless boy full of energy and the polite and serious girl reining him in. As they both grew isolated and shunned by others, they found happiness in each other. They practiced swordsmanship and Tsuna gained more control over his abilities under the tutelage of the Yorimitsu Clan's magi. However, as close and intimate as they were, no romance blossomed. Tsuna was unaware of her Oni ancestry and perhaps Raikou was afraid that the knowledge would drive them apart.
They eventually became demon slayers and Tsuna was rewarded with Higekiri. As the retainers of the Fujiwara Clan, the secret ruler of Japan during the Heian period, it was the Minamoto Clan's duty to guarantee the citizens' safety. Therefore, the monsters that devoured humans were a priority target.
On a hunt for the man-heating hag Yamamba, Tsuna and Raikou came across her son, a boy raised amongst animals and with incredible strength. He had a deep curiosity for the civilized world and requested to serve under Raikou. As she had never managed to come to terms with her demonic nature, she could not abandon someone with the same circumstances. Raikou accepted and renamed him Sakata no Kintoki.
Later she also recruited Urabe no Suetake and Usui Sadamitsu, forming the Four Heavenly Kings led by Kintoki.
As a result, Tsuna resented the young man. Although he had no interest in being a leader, earning that position was a sign of Raikou's trust. Just after a few years, Kintoki was already treasured by Raikou as a cute little brother that she was fond of. Tsuna was unaware of the reason: since both Raikou and Kintoki had a monstrous nature, she had confided in him and had told him of her Oni blood; she had grown to implicitly trust Kintoki, frustrating Tsuna even more.
Tsuna did not let this hinder his duties, but redirected his dissatisfaction towards his targets. Taking out his rage upon Onis in a violent and hateful manner, he built up his legend as their slayer while unknowingly unsettling Raikou, who did not wish to have her best friend hate her and became more cautious in hiding her lineage.
At some point he met Ibaraki-douji, who camouflaged as a young girl to take revenge for the friends Tsuna had butchered. She hugged him from behind and attempted to snap his neck, but he managed to cut off her arm with Higekiri. They had a brief skirmish before she grabbed her severed arm and fleed.
After that they were tasked with the extermination of Shuten-douji, a powerful Oni hiding in Mount Ooe and leading a large group of her kind. Abe no Seimei divined the location and the group dressed up as monks to secretly poison the Oni's alcohol and destroy the group while its members were incapacitated. Secretly, however, the fifth member of the group was someone else and Tsuna hid near the Rashomon Gate. He killed every single Oni who escaped from his comrades, fighting dozens of them at the same time.
His last opponent was Shuten-douji's second-in-command, Ibaraki-douji. Although renowned for her fearsome strength and control over fire, Tsuna did not fear the former due to his sword and could counter the latter due to his innate abilities. He easily gained the upper hand and cut off her arm, defeating her once more, but this time he took the Oni's arm as a trophy.
It was snatched away, though, when Ibaraki-douji took the form of his foster-father Mitsunaka's sister, who had always treated him gently despite Tsuna having been a street rat. When she stole back the arm and escaped, Tsuna could have easily killed the injured Oni, yet allowed her to live. Even as a Heroic Spirit he does not know why.
Personality
At a first glance he may seem the typical reckless one who has to be rescued by his friends for his impulsiveness. However, while Tsuna is certainly spirited and lively, he is actually the one in charge of reining in his comrades. Kintoki's tendency to do what is "cool" and Raikou's occasional bouts of fury can be only managed by Tsuna, who is greatly admired by the former and knows the latter intimately.
His attitude outside and inside battles is completely different. When not fighting he is relaxed and expresses his feelings freely, but when wielding his blade he turns taciturn and his eyes gain a fiery intensity. Since his control over flames might go out of control if he gets excited during a fight, he suppresses his self as a safety measure.
Unbeknowst to him, he displays this quirk when interacting with others as well. One can easily discern his disposition towards certain individuals by observing whether he acts jovially or quietly.
He is fond of animals, especially horses. He will absolutely deny it, but it is due to Kintoki's influence. Although Tsuna avoided him, the boy from the mountains saw his as the "coolest" of the group in both general appearance and how he handled Raikou. While the swordsman groaned whenever the young man approached, his love for animals rubbed off on him.
He hated Onis due to the deaths they caused out of pure amusement. As a man of justice who feels truly blessed by being rescued from the streets and having so many friends, he believes that anyone has potential for goodness and that Onis who simply surrender to their nature are deplorable. He calmed down in his later years and will give the benefit of the doubt even to those with dubious reputation, but won't hesitate to strike them down at a moment's notice.
He has a very "big brother" like attitude. He is easily approachable due to how understanding he can be of others: he hardly judges others based on superficial factors, doesn't care for someone's lineage or blood and ignores rumors. Since he lived in a politic-heavy environment, he just assumes them to be mindless drivel unless there is evidence.
Relationships
Ibaraki-douji: "You know, I sure as hell won't apologize for the arm, but I guess we can... talk?"
The Oni that could be called his "nemesis". She is the only one of her kind that he has ever spared for reason he still can't understand. As such, while he barely considers her an ally, he is willing to be in the same room as her without looking over his shoulder every second. Ibaraki-douji despises him more than anyone else, but also wishes for a chance to simply talk. These conflicting emotions result in a difficult expression whenever Tsuna is around and Shuten-douji's proud remarks of "I see, I see, Ibaraki-chan is a true Oni now" confuse her even more.
Minamoto no Raikou (Berserker): "You are not my friend, just an Oni in her guise. Do not dare to fool me by acting like her."
He recognizes her abnormal personality as a result of being summoned under the Berserker Class. In life, Tsuna was eventually informed of Raikou's Oni blood and is angered that this version of her was warped by it to such an extent. He can't accept this Berserker as Raikou, yet why does he glance away whenever he witnesses her hurt expression? Even as a Berserker, Raikou still loves him, but her attempts to close the gap between them and her perception of "lovers as children" alienates Tsuna even further.
Sakata Kintoki: "Hey, golden bo- sheesh, no need to get so excited. Yeah, I guess I'm happy to see you too."
He resented Kintoki for inexplicably becoming Raikou's closest confidant in just a few years. Years later he was informed of his best friend's demonic lineage and figured out the reason, but at the time he truly disliked the boy from the mountains. He eventually got used to him and accepted him as a friend, but still considers him a magnet for trouble and tends to avoid him. Of course, Kintoki never noticed and looks up to his senpai as a "cool big brother" that he can always count on whenever he needs something, i.e. avoiding Raikou.
Shuten-douji: "So that's the infamous Shuten-douji... Raikou described her as ferocious, but isn't she just a useless drunk?"
He never met her, so he only has biased accounts from Raikou. He is still cautious around her due to her supposedly super-tenacious nature even as a floating head, but can't take her seriously. Of course, she is still an Oni and he won't underestimate her in case she must be cut down. They can talk to each other without problems, but there will never be anything beyond the occasional chat. Still, why does she send him suggestive gazes whenever Ibaraki-douji is mentioned...?
Originally Posted by the god of world-0
