Saikou (Pokemon Crater)

Character Name: Saikou

Character Age: 19

Character Species: Wolf Demon Kemonomimi (human/animal hybrid)

Hair color: Black with blue underfade

Eye color: Purple

A long time ago, Saikou's mother, a wolf demon, left her clan in order to seek a more peaceful life. She didn't agree with the way they did things, often snatching villagers to feast on, or to torture until death. It was never something she had the stomach for, nor did her morals match what visions they had. Disguised as a human, her mother stole away into the village Saikou now lives in, falling in love with a local Guardian, a man who's bloodline was pure and devoted to protecting the village with their lives. In the event of an attack, these Guardians would sacrifice themselves to defeat the evil that would invade their homes and drive back anything that would dare break the solitude and peace of their land. The two wed, despite her father finding out about her true identity, however the village was outraged and protested that she would only be a bad omen and bring about the destruction of the life they were living.

She soon became pregnant, and within time, gave birth to their daughter, to which they named Saikou. Knowing the life ahead of her, her father started to teach her the ways of the Guardians in hopes she would be able to protect herself and those around her if there was ever the chance something came up, and soon enough, something did.

Around Saikou's tenth birthday, a horde of demons attacked the village, slaughtering many of the Guardians, and much of the townspeople. Saikou's mother defended as best as she could, the ancient sword in her hands the real reason the clan had come for her. The night she had run away she had stolen from her father, a demon lord, his sacred sword, used to kill for centuries, the very blade smelling and even unspeakably drenched in blood as soon as it was drawn in battle. It was as if a life itself pulsed within the blade, craving the lives of many it wished to destroy. It was a long battle, but eventually the tribe was driven back, the demon lord unable to take the sword after being wounded, but not before mortally wounding Saikou's mother in the process, and her father being slashed with the infamous blade itself, poisoning his blood. In the days to come following the attack, Saikou's father would plunge into grief after losing his beloved wife, not showing his face for quite some time, forcing Saikou to deliver his duties for him. It seemed to be the fate of their family now turned to the young female, a great burden on her shoulders as now she wouldn't be seen as some guardian, but some "reaper", the townspeople feared but respected her as she proved herself to be compitent, maybe a bit sloppy at first, but she would improve in the years to come.

After some time, her father succumbed to his injuries, the demon's curse eating away at his body until nothing was left. In order to save his soul, and partially out of grief, Saikou took it and placed it in a lanturn, hiding it deep away in the shrine nearby the very blade that took his life. Somehow being without both her father and her mother, she couldn't bear it, so she kept his soul from moving on, the echoes of his voice sometimes being heard inthe dead of night below the floors in the secret room protected by the shrine.

The place grew up in a small hidden village in the mountains tucked away from the rest of the world. There it is a very spiritual place, mystical beings and creatures (and demons) alike roam the lands nearby, and Saikou's life oath is to protect and deliver those who have died over to the spirit world safely. She followed in her father's footsteps after he passed, devoting herself to his life's work and the tradition of his bloodline. Being half human, Saikou is feared by many in the village, some even wishing to spit at her feet, knowing what happened all those years ago to their homeland and the potential for another war to happen again.

Saikou is very traditional where she comes from. Despite not being human, the villagers all pray to the gods for prosperity and protection, and Saikou follows suit out of respect to her father and the community she grew up in. Her role in the past caused her to gain the title of "Reaper", not the appointed status of "Guardian" like so many before her.

She strives to be honest and true, her personality at first is somewhat reserved, but she has a big heart. She avoids contact in case of rejection, finding it easier to live alone up in the shrine with her grandfather, and only proceed down to the village when nessicary to attend classes and to do her work. Saikou helps deliver the lost souls and recently deceased to the other side, but can only do so once a month. She will store the souls inside a bell that is attached to the collar on her neck, the object growing in size with each one entered. Sometimes, one can hear the voices speaking from within, Saikou having to concentrate in order to stay focused at times or she becomes overwhelmed.

Once a month on the blood moon, Saikou opens the portal to the spirit world, releasing the spirits she has then collected in the bell attached to her collar, relieving herself of the many voices and extra weight on her chest. On the blood moon, the sword becomes quite loud, screaming in a pitch that only a few can hear, it calling out to the nearby to release it from its sheathe and rain blood in its name. Saikou struggles with her mother's blood from time to time, being tempted by the call of the blade, but so far the sight of her father and the reminder of the past keeps her at bay. Eventually, she may find herself lacking and in need of the extra help of the blade called "Kiru"...but only time will tell.

Saikou, when working, wears a somewhat resemblance to a ninja-like costume, adorned with her katana at her side, appropriately named "Ripa", and prefers to be somewhat barefoot so she gets a better grip on surfaces. She mostly moves at night, serving under the veil of darkness, as souls that linger tend to be more active around that time. She also slays any demons or any threats meant for her village, often finally able to return to the shrine for rest at the crack of dawn to then attend afternoon classes later on in the day. Due to her life's work, she has been held back for her final year, some complications caused her to miss most of the previous classes, and now she attends the school older than everyone else, but striving to complete it and have a more open schedule for herself.