Taiyo

Archer's Circle
Compatriot of the House of Yizhi

Description


~Taiyo lives up to his frightening reputation as a mass murderer. The blood of many gangsters and demons haunt his booted steps. The Japanese man appears to be in his late thirties or early forties. His cold face was ruined by a set of scars resembling the passage of one huge claw diagonal across his features. Behind the ugly scar tissue, Taiyo's brown eyes gleam with hungry menace. Long, scraggly hair frames his visage, raven-black flecked with iron-gray. His impressive physique fills a loose black tunic and slacks. Taiyo's sun-baked flesh ripples with muscle and is laced with many more scars. A long, heavy, and leather duffel bag is slung over one shoulder. There is only one law: be faster, smarter, and stronger. And Taiyo is such a law-abiding citizen.~

OOC: Appearance 1; Reputation 4

"You have two choices, demon: die slow or die fast."



History


Youth

Death came often in the life of Taiyo, originally named Fukamizu Masamusu, born in 1959. When he was only four, his mother, Shinobu, passed away from cancer. Luckily, his father, Ichiro, cared greatly for his son. But Ichiro was a busy man. He worked for the Japanese military, helping oversee a nuclear development facility near Kagoshima. The Fukumizu lived at the facility's housing, and young Masamusu's life consisted of a military base life.

While Masamusu knew his father loved him, his upbringing left much to be desired when it came to parental warmth. Everything was kept severe and spartan. But the boy became accustomed to this lifestyle. He loved and respected his father, calling him "sir". His father loved him back and was as fair as he was stern. Although overwhelming displays of love were never evident from his father, Masamusu acquired excellent character. He became greatly focused on studying the ethics his father promoted. All of them were based on the old samurai code of behavior.

It seemed as if his father expected him to become a soldier someday, too. And that's what Masamusu wanted. He attended a military school at the base for the children of soldiers and officials. From a young age, his father also sent him to a martial arts academy located just outside the base. There Masamusu learned Shitoryu karate and the art of kendo, both of which the school's old teacher taught.

But death intended to visit the Fukamizu again. Suspicious and shady persons, which his father believed were gangsters, came to the man and demanded access to files on the base's nuclear research. They promised to pay him handsomely in exchange. But Ichiro refused the bribe coldly. The man was smart enough not to threaten them with exposure. Apparently, they feared he would anyway. The gangsters managed to break into the facility and steal the technology anyway. Then they dealt with Fukamizu Ichiro.

Tragedy

So the next afternoon, when Masamusu came home from school, he made a horrible discovery. Resting on the porch was a clear garbage bag. The bag was stuffed with bloody gore and scrambled viscera. The twelve year old boy's eyes widened as he realized the contents of the bag. For at the top of the pile of bagged, gruesome muck was his father's name badge. His father was dead, cut up into tiny pieces… After a long fit of miserable vomiting, the boy horriedly called the police. Over the next few days, Masamusu lived with family friends, a fellow official on the base. The police thoroughly investigated, but uncovered no leads. They arrested no suspects. The local media did a story on the tragic murder, although the government kept a close cap on the nuclear espionage.

Once that story was published in the news, Komodo-san caught wind of the murder. Komodo was a famous Shih, the lone and wandering demon hunters of eld. Komodo was perhaps one of the most famous in the modern day, and certainly one of Japan's foremost warriors. The story of the savaged military officer at a nuclear base disturbed the Shih. He looked into the matter, especially to discover the surviving son. From stealth, he observed Masamusu for a few days. Then he approached the boy after karate class one evening. He told the boy he had suspicions about who murdered his father, but that it was the boy's honor-bound duty to avenge his sire. Masamusu agreed -- his father taught him honor well. But he had no idea where to begin and Komodo was suspicious.

But then Komodo spilled the beans about the existence of the shen. At first, Masamusu scoffed at the crazy old man. But Komodo showed the boy the truth in the nearby shadows. Using his preternatural disciplines of Qiao, Komodo weakened the Wall seperating the Middle Kingdom from the spirit worlds. And Masamusu could see the spirits roaming beyond the visual tear Komodo created. Flabbergast, Masamusu readily agreed to Komodo's help. However, the Shih warned that this help would not be a simple gumshoe activity. Masamusu would have to take on the mantle of responsibility. He could not just honor his father by discovering the perpetrators of that vile crime. He had to commit himself to fighting that kind of wickedness and injustice everywhere. Masamusu resolved himself -- in a boy's mind -- to do something just like that anyway. Komodo's warning was accepted for the boy's mind was made up. It was time to become Shih and learn how to fight and stop villains, whether supernatural or not.

Training

The next day, Masamusu introduced Komodo to his temporary caretakers. He introduced the man as an uncle, and that he would be taken care of by that man from then on. Then Masamusu left Kagoshima. Komodo took the boy from the home he always knew and away from the main islands of Japan to Okinawa. They rested in a small village bordering the capitol of Naha. In a small hut in this obscure community, Masamusu's training began in earnest. His many years of training in martial arts under an excellent instructor served him well. Komodo found the boy picking up more advanced concepts quicker than a raw student. While some adolescents could be headstrong, Masamusu seemed determined to apply all of his stubborness to his tutelage. Whether meditation, calligraphy, weapons training, weaponless techniques, or study of lore, the youth was driven. In fact, the more easygoing (as "fanatical" Shih go) Komodo was a mite disturbed. Masamusu seemed too intense; the boy would grow frustrated if he thought he wasn't growing skilled fast enough. Even young, Masamusu knew anger and bitterness. Years of training still laid ahead, and at his age it seemed like he wasn't getting there fast enough.

Still, Masamusu got along fine with Komodo. He paid strict attention to his master, caring little for the relative squalor in which they lived. All he cared about was getting good enough to hunt down his father's killers and give them a death fitting the crime (like cutting them up into little pieces!). He had no life and certainly not the kind of life most teenage boys enjoyed. Masamusu honed his body into a lethal weapon. He paid strict attention to Komodo's more philosophical and metaphysical lessons, too. Masamusu became attuned to his own ki faster than normal martial artists did, due to the ancient training methods of the Shih designed to skip everything and push the practitioner's body and mind to the limit. Only one who could and did dedicate every passing moment of the day to this arduous regimen could develop his own physical prowess and focus. And so developed could the Shih become that their combat abilities seemed augmented by supernatural powers. But they were not supernatural -- just superhuman.

For seven long years, Masamusu trained under Komodo's patient attention. The youth learned all he needed to learn. He was proud that it only took him seven years despite Komodo's warning that most Shih apprentices require twelve years. Of course, Masamusu accorded credit to his old instructor back in Kagoshima. That laid the foundation of his martial arts and helped him become the expert he was at age nineteen. So now he and Komodo were ready to part ways. Komodo reassured the young Shih that he would remain in the Naha area until he was sure Masamusu was on his feet as a lone warrior. Komodo also promised he would help dig up clues to guide Masamusu to his father's murderers. But it would take time. Confident and energetic with his graduation from this long and hard training, Masamusu simply thanked his master profoundly. They parted on good measure, and the youth made his way into the nearby city on foot.

First Circuits

The new Shih decided to wander awhile before settling in any city like some demon hunters did. Masamusu discarded his old name, partly for security reasons, and adopted the alias of "Anchan". Not a true name, it simply meant "big brother", in an affectionate manner. The Shih thought shen would find that name disarming while at the same time reminding them of his watchful presence. So Anchan made his way through Naha, strolling through the city by day and night. He searched out trouble to stop. When he needed to, he ate and slept. Everyday he devoted several hours to continued practice of his arts. Anchan twice encountered a couple youth gangs bullying others or committing serious laws. Despite that he was outnumbered, Anchan handed the young rogues their asses. The young Shih reveled in the power and control he had over others. For the first time since his father's murder, Anchan discovered a new joy. He liked beating the crap out of people who richly deserved it. Of course, this collided with the ethics Komodo taught him, as well as the lessons his old karate instructor taught. But Anchan decided in his youthful wisdom that ignoring trouble was the same as causing it. In a way he was right. Unfortunately, Anchan had to learn when pre-emptively punishing criminals was creating trouble that wasn't already there.

On the other hand, ethics flew right out the window during his first true test. Anchan found himself focused solely on survival one night six months after parting ways with his mentor. He was on patrol through the city's red light district, near the docks. He overheard a ruckus in an alley and dashed down to find out what the matter was. By the time he reached the source, all he saw was a nearby door shutting. Anchan forced his way inside, and came upon a horrible sight. It was only due to Komodo's warnings and the learnings of the shen lore that helped Anchan from freezing in horror. He came into a rundown room, containing only a bed. In that bed lay a young girl, maybe his age at the most, splayed out naked. Pinning her was a monster, a demon Komodo warned him about. The creature was human-like in appearance, but its skin had tinted green, and instead of arms, it boasted four tentacles and smothered the girl. Anchan could only hear her muffled screams as the demon forced its unholy self upon her.

Anchan wasted no time. Face contorted in disgust, he lunged forward with his sword. The blade cut deep into the monster's back, splashing green blood. The demon screeched and reeled back to retaliate. But the skilled swordsman sliced the bakemono's throat wide open. With a gurgle, it collapsed dead, and the girl passed out from shock. Anchan started to move to her side to begin first aid, but an angry voice halted him. From a chair concealed in unnatural shadow rose a pale-skinned man with eyes that burned like hell's oblivion-flames. He chasted Anchan for his interference in the punishment of the girl for her drug abuse. Anchan recognized this creature, too, from his studies. This was one of the gaki, the Kuei-jin -- vampires, in Western parlance.

The vampire claimed to be a devil that Heaven itself appointed. The vampire denounced Anchan for disrespecting Heaven's mandate. But Anchan scoffed. He told the gaki that devils had no right to punish. Karma took care of that through joss -- good fortune and bad luck. So if Heaven didn't send angels to protect the innocent, devils wouldn't be dispatched either. Outraged at Anchan's bold impudence, and his hypocrisy, the gaki assaulted the Shih head-on. The battle was short. In spite of the vampire's inhuman bursts of speed and power, Anchan's channeled ki levelled the playing field. The two battered and sliced each other well. Ultimately, Anchan claimed victory with a cunning feint. Badly wounded and low on stolen ki, the vampire begged for its life. But Anchan wasn't convinced that the vampire learned any lesson. With a savage kiai, Anchan relieved the Kuei-jin of its head. He turned back to the girl, feeling cold and strong with his first two kills. He helped her with basic first aid, then demanded she stay silent. Anchan slipped back into the night, inscrutably proud.

The Shih felt it was a good time to move on. Anchan left not only Naha, but Okinawa. He returned to Japan, deciding to wander through southern Honshu awhile. During his travels, he encountered numerous people in obvious need and trouble. Wherever he found suffering and oppression, Anchan hunted down the source and exacted punishment. However, the young Shih was discovering that most evil came solely from criminals. Whether common gangsters or yakuza, they were completely human villains. That didn't dissuade Anchan though. It just meant that he often relied on a firearm of some sort to match their firepower. It was a good thing Komodo was not anachronistic! Anchan put his target practice to good use when he clashed with those gangsters. Sometimes, of course, the criminals just needed a stern beating.

But of course, organized crime never tolerated being treated so cavalieristically. Especially since it was by some lone wolf vigilante. Furthermore, Anchan sometimes punched or dug deep enough through a criminal base to annoy their backers -- which were usually shen. Sometimes Anchan confronted these creatures, but usually he moved on through areas so quickly that the criminals and shen never even retaliated. Quite frankly, Anchan had to flee a town or city when the shen grew angry. He wasn't afraid to admit when he was outmatched. And he wasn't about to die stupidly. Anchan was living on the edge every moment of his life.

Then his problems drew to a climatic issue when he settled in Osaka for a time. Like elsewhere, Anchan fearlessly battled and defeated yakuza and other criminals. Unfortunately, these gangsters were much better established. This was a major city, not some provincial township. As he set to punishing a group of extorters in the midst of their business, he realized some of the enemies he confronted were shinta -- human sorcerors. Of course, this was an odd sort indeed, modernized and not at all like he imagined. But his Opened Eyes did not lie. Realizing how ugly and futile the fight could get, Anchan put aside his usual answer: quick violence. The back alley confrontation became a negotiation. He agreed to stop harassing, beating, and shooting the yakuza in Osaka. In turn, these shinta-run hoodlums agreed to tame their extortion tactics down and avoid unnecessary harm to "innocent civilians". Anchan, only twenty-two, was naïve enough to take their word. After all, Komodo taught, not all shen were without honor.

Unfortunately, these shen were without honor. Anchan's misjudgement almost cost him his life. Three days after the agreement, the shinta reneged on the deal. They lured Anchan into an alley with the sight of the beating of a shopkeeper. As Anchan rushed to the rescue, gunmen ambushed the young man. Though wounded, Anchan counter-attacked sharply, slaying his would-be assassins with return fire. Clearly, they underestimated he and his superhuman prowess. Anchan survived the sneak attack especially to the good grace of his Qiao. So he turned right around to return the favor. He stormed the gangsters' office headquartars with an automatic rifle. Though he killed many more yakuza, the shinta already made good their escape. They fled his wrath. Remembering Komodo's warnings about their subtle and indirect curses, he knew he was in grave danger if he stayed. Bitterly, Anchan accepted defeat and fled Osaka. He did not want to suffer a fatal curse from those disreputable neo-sorcerors. Once more by foot, Anchan traveled the countryside. His tolerance for the deviance of shen lessened everyday.

Eventually, Anchan reached Nagoya. But as soon as he arrived, the local gangsters attacked him on sight! Apparently, they were all part of the same clan, the Osaka and Nagoya branches. Anchan defended himself with his lethal and tested skills. Though he fought well and killed many, Anchan took his share of injuries. He retreated to a hard-to-find haven to recover. To his dismay, they found his home anyway. To his relief, assassins didn't visit him there. Only a letter was sent. It was handwritten by the shen who backed this family of yakuza. Not shinta, Anchan found that an old and learned gaki Mandarin oversaw this outfit. The centuries-old vampire offered a treaty not unlike what Anchan made in Osaka. The Mandarin assured the Shih that his trust would not be violated again. Because some shen still remembered the old ways and respected the Shih.

In spite of himself, Anchan wrote a letter back. He affirmed the Kuei-jin's offer, realizing that if the Mandarin wanted him dead, she could have arranged it fairly easily if she knew the Shih's secret hideout. If the gaki maintained civility with Anchan and gentility with the practice of their Scarlet Screens (the yakuza), there would be no immediate reason to fight. Only those who violated the treaty were subject to Anchan's harsh judgement. So for years, Anchan upheld his end of the bargain. And the Mandarin proved as good as her word. She kept her brethren in fair restraint. Only occasionally did Anchan have to punish out-of-line gangsters or gaki. Of course, he never hesitated to punish violators when they appeared. He was quick to learn of most villains, too. The more he spent vigilantly patrolling the streets of Nagoya, the better acquainted he became with the locals he protected. With his "ear to the ground", few slights escaped his notice. Despite Anchan's penchant for quick and brutal punishment to offenders, these years in Nagoya passed with unusual serenity for a Shih. It was a peaceful interlude and a nice change from living on the edge, on the run, all the time.

Sadly, time wore on even the immortals. An abrupt change rattled the local Kuei-jin community to the core. The Bamboo Princes (young and ambitious gaki) saw an opportunity in the lapse of the elders' judgement. Suddenly, Mandarins were assassinated right and left as the Bamboo Princes made their move. The wise elder with whom Anchan struck the treaty ten years prior was among the slain. All deals were off as the Bamboo Princes consolidated their power. This extended down to the yakuza, who broke out into a gang war. But Anchan wasn't about to let this all slide. Strapping himself with the deadly arsenal acquired over the years, as well as the advanced Qiao he developed over time, the Shih was ready for war.

And Anchan got it: three days of bloodshed that exceeded all other consecutive moments of violence in his life. He shot, stabbed, and beat his way through dozens of yakuza and gaki. Naturally, the Shih sustained his share of injuries. But none were bad enough to stop his warpath. Interrogations along the way directed Anchan to the Bamboo Princes' leader. A pretentious vampire not even a hundred years old, he nevertheless possessed pluck and confidence. Still, he could not defeat the fanatically determined veteran Shih any better than his underlings. Anchan's deadly automatic weapons, masterful martial arts, superhuman abilities, and prudent, sneaky tactics defeated the Bamboo Princes. Anchan took his time with the leader, though. He beat the vampire senseless, forcing him to expend his stolen ki just to heal his broken, pain-wracked body. When the gaki was finally on the brink of doom, Anchan pulled him up to the squat building's roof. He suspended the exhausted vampire off its feet by the throat. For the last hours of the night, Anchan glared into the villainous creature's eyes. As dawn came, he did not beg for his life. Perhaps he was resigned to the fate Anchan insured. With the rising sun, the gaki rotted to Final Death in moments. Anchan didn't drop the corpse until a ray of the sun peeked through a decomposed eye socket. A hsien who witnessed the Shih's rampage to the end gave him the nickname "Taiyo", which meant sunray. It stuck ever after, as word of the Shih's cold and deliberate execution spread among the country's shen.

Investigations

Of course, Taiyo felt the need to move on again. He left Nagoya before revenge took his head. Once more he wandered the countryside. For a change, the Shih avoided cities and towns. Taiyo kept to only the most rural villages. He passed by Kyoto and headed up into the mountains. As he walked an old road through the forested region, Taiyo ran into an an aging Komodo. His old master was there out of nowhere! Overjoyed for the first time in awhile, Taiyo caught up on old times with his master. The two discussed their current activities, the shen they met, and more. Then Komodo fulfilled his promise made years ago at the conclusion of Taiyo's apprenticeship. Komodo informed Taiyo of clues that might lead to his father's killers. There was a dangerously fanatical sect of vampires, Komodo related, who were interested in securing nuclear weapons. They could be tied to his father's death. But, Komodo warned, Taiyo would have to brave the dangers of Hiroshima. Ever since its bombing in World War II, also known as the Burnings, the shen of the rebuilt city took on darker hues. It was as if all the death from the bombings manifested many demons. The shen that dared to linger there fell to the diabolic corruption of demons.

So Taiyo resolved to investigate that place. He and Komodo parted paths once more. Taiyo proceeded through the woods, changing course for Hiroshima. Along the way, he encountered a beautiful woman with a captivating voice. With his Qiao, he identified the nature of her spirit as a trickster Kitsune. Who knew what mischief the Fox-woman had in store for him? Still, she was lovely to look at, so Taiyo didn't mind her company as he traveled. She spent only a few days with him, however. She kept trying to get the Shih to tell his tale. But Taiyo remained cold and inscrutable. He knew better than to trust a Fox! The Kitsune was not easily dissuaded though. She flattered the Shih with an improvised ballad all about him (what she heard of him at least). Still Taiyo refused to cooperate. The gorgeous Fox needed to be willing to trade something more than her company. Taiyo had sex in the past -- on three occasions in Nagoya, he enjoyed skilled prostitutes' attentions. But the Fox was more exotic. He propositioned her…and she flatly refused. Annoyed with her now, he waited until an opportune moment. Taiyo rendered her unconscious with an atemi attack. He left the Fox crumpled on the ground and went on his way without her.

Months later, Taiyo's trek brought him to Hiroshima. And the city proved as bad as Komodo warned. As soon as he arrived, demons emerged and attacked him. Walls where the shadows of human beings were cremated into the stone seemed to give birth to abyssmal nightmares. Charged with pain and anguish, these shadowy demons kept Taiyo on the defense constantly. They harried his every step. So Taiyo learned to hide himself by taking an abandoned rooftop for himself. He used a tarp to keep the rain off him and ate sparingly. Even forty years later, the radiation seemed palpable. Only his Shih-toned body kept him from serious infection.

As Taiyo settled into the city, he pondered how to go about searching. Finding and interrogating some of the local shen seemed to be the best course. Meanwhile, Taiyo's sleep did not go unharmed. As he rested, a vile demon managed to slip into soul and possess him. As it fought with his iron-like will, Taiyo's dreams took a turn for the worse. Nightmares ripped apart his rest, forcing screams of impotent horror, as he imagined slaying everyone in his path…even Komodo and his few other friends. When Taiyo awoke, he was like a new man. A brutal hunger dwelled in his gaze.

So he climbed down from his hideout. He went through the city every night for a week. Taiyo probed the sewers and streets alike. He encountered gaki and Nezumi (Rats) especially. The suddenly psychotic Shih blasted right through those shen. Most of them were as corrupt as could be in that city and received deserving fates from Taiyo. As he hacked his way through demons, his interrogations practically became torture. The tainted gaki directed him to an abandoned warehouse then occupied by Kumo -- Goblin Spiders. With deadly force, Taiyo avoided the death traps the enwebbed building likely was…by starting a fire and burning it to the ground. He forced the Goblin Spiders into a confrontation. Maddened and empowered by the demon possessing him, Taiyo made short work of most of the Kumo. The survivor he tortured with rosewood stakes. The bloated Kumo told Taiyo that the Kuei-jin he sought were in Nagasaki. The Kumo knew them because they provided these gaki with a "herd" of humans as food. This "herd" was to be kept in an old 1950s' fall-out bunker, where the psychotic nuclear-interested vampires were holed up.

After severing the Goblin Spider's head, Taiyo was eager to move on. But his reckless abandon drew police attention. Despite knowing better, Taiyo fought and killed the police trying to arrest him. As the impulsive deeds were done, Taiyo realized something was wrong with him. The bloodlust in his eyes frightened off innocents. Terrified of himself, Taiyo ran across the city blindly. He came across a Buddist temple on the outskirts of town. It shined like a beacon of pure light. Taiyo ran towards this holy ground. But the pain the demon riding him felt was shared. Every step was an extreme test of self-discipline. Between the agony of the holiness and the demon's attempts to make him go away, the battle of will was his most intense yet.

There, Taiyo practically collapsed in a humble monk and nun's arms. They helped him rest and soon realized he needed an exorcism. So it was performed, the two laypersons chastising the demon, driving it out of Taiyo. Even relieved of that foul influence, the Shih was exhausted mentally and emotionally. He rested in the sanctuary of the temple for days before he came to his senses. Taiyo rose up, realizing then that even the darkest abyss had a flickering candle of hope burning within. Taiyo knew then at last that demon hunting was not a path of vengeance but duty. The ethics of giri he learned long ago at his father and Komodo's hands were truly accepted into his heart. The recovered Shih thanked his priestly caretakers for all their aid and their failure to alert the police. Then he went on his way. He needed to get out of Hiroshima before the cops went all-out after him.

Thus began Taiyo's trek to Nagasaki. Along the road, Taiyo happened across another man that resembled himself in many ways. Except this man was over fifteen years older. They met warily but soon realized they were both Shih. Taiyo learned that this fellow veteran demon hunter's name was Toshie. And like him, Toshie was on his way to Nagasaki. Toshie was also investigating this Searing Winds sect. So the pair traveled together. They trained together and shared stories of their past and the shen they acquainted…and punished. Taiyo discovered that Toshie was an expert on gaki, particularly the more corrupt ones. So this was an excellent team-up indeed.

When they got to Nagasaki, they found that it wasn't nearly as bad as Hiroshima. It seemed that a powerful local Beast-Court policed the manifestation of demons quite efficiently. With Toshie's expertise, however, they tracked down what evil persisted. The Shih located secret symbols and interpreted enigmatic advice garnered from local shen. Just as it seemed that they were on the brink of discovery, their enemies found them first. A veritable horde of bakemono surrounded them on a back street one night. The goblins resembled hairless, muscle-bound humans with lobster-like pincers instead of arms. Their leader, a brute specimen of his diabolic species, screeched the order to attack. The two Shih fought long and hard. Firearms kept the goblins back for a short while. Then the demon hunters resorted to their Qiao and blades. Though hard-pressed, the two Shih were victorious. As the lead goblin expired under their swords, they learned who sent this horde, and where the masters could often be found. This locale was also where that captive "herd" was held. The Shih did not yet learn the secret location of the Searing Winds' bunker. They only knew that the "herd" was kept in an old hotel. So they staked the building out. The next night, a vampire entered the place. They spied through the window. And they were forced to watch the vampire rape his victim, a young woman, while he fed on her blood. They needed to follow the bastard to the bunker despite their justifiable urges to slay the gaki right then and there.

Unfortunately, the vampire went to a personal apartment haven instead. Taiyo couldn't wait any longer. He and Toshie stormed the haven, outright killing the Kuei-jin. Then they ransacked his home, seeking clues. Luckily, Toshie matched up some of the personals with other clues. They rested for a few hours. Then at noon, the pair locked in on the bunker's entrance, at an old airfield. They figured out how to break in, then descended underground into this large bunker's facilities. But demons and goblins who served as security here immediately beset the two Shih. With twice the deadliness, however, the monsters were eventually defeated. But the battle was arduous and difficult. In the process, the Searing Winds made good their escape. They took all nuclear weapon-related materials, too. The two Shih had time only to peruse what few files remained. They discovered that the vampires withdrew to a strange, underwater base on the bottom of the Sea of Japan. Just as they determined this, Toshie found something far more disturbing. A bomb timer! The place was rigged to explode in a matter of minutes. The Shih raced out of the underground offices for the entrance they knew.

When they reached the bunker's main chamber, only five minutes to spare, they were…distracted. A pair of monstrous Mukade -- demon-centipedes the size of locomotives -- broke through the Wall. No doubt, the Searing Winds summoned these monsters to slay the interloping Shih. Taiyo and Toshie brought to bear the deadliest remnants of their personal arsenals, such as grenades. Bullets and blades seemed to do little to their huge foes' chitinous hides. The Shih tried to break past the Mukade to escape the doomed bunker. Taiyo was struck fiercely across the face, actually knocking him senseless. Toshie bravely leaped to his comrade's rescue, stabbing his sword to the hilt into one of the Mukade's insectoid eyes. As the direly injured demon writhed, it blocked the other Mukade from reaching the Shih. Toshie picked Taiyo up and fled the bunker at last. The place blew up soon after, burying the Mukade and all other evidence under tons of rubble.

Taiyo and Toshie left Nagasaki altogether. Both Shih needed time to recuperate. They camped out in the woods, getting over their wounds. Because of the corrosive nature of the Mukade, Taiyo's face was horribly scarred even with the healing stimulation of the Qiao of the Feng (Phoenix). Still, Taiyo now owed Toshie a life debt. Toshie didn't need to point that out. It was Taiyo's duty to remember. They discussed their findings and resolved to track the Searing Winds to the ends of the earth…or bottoms of the oceans. However, their work together was, for now, concluded. They parted ways and Taiyo began a trek along the coastline.

Taiyo's growing reputation among the shen began to have an impact. As he skirted through beach towns and ports in western Japan, he realized local shen populations quieted down quite a bit. His mere passage seemed to bring fear-filled serenity to communities. And this pleased Taiyo. During his journey, Taiyo searched for a way to enable him to explore the sea. Only the Same-Bito (Sharks) seemed likely to know. The few times he encountered these exotic hengeyokai, however, they refused to help at all. No matter his argument, they were too stubborn, and wanted no Shih in their waters. Taiyo's annoyance and bitterness with the shen increased once again. As he traveled, he became even quicker to pronounce judgement and punish supernatural beings.

In the course of these fruitless years, Taiyo discovered almost nothing. He did not encounter Toshie again either. Taiyo ran into plenty of shen though. And frankly, things seemed to be worsening in the world. This reflected in the poorer behavior of many demons. As the millennium ended, Taiyo was feeling very frustrated. He still broached no deviance in the shen he met and never showed mercy. Many were slain by his hands. This heartlessness was probably why almost no shen would help.

But "almost" was the key term. In the woodlands south of Noto, Taiyo encountered a witch. She was shinta in the traditional manner Taiyo always imagined. Without the two even needing to talk, she relayed that she knew what Taiyo sought and that she would help. Though wary, Taiyo listened. The woman explained that she intended to help him because of his growing body count, which was quite notorious. Whether villain or hero, redeemer or destroyer, the witch admired him. He was a pawn of Destiny, an agent of Heaven's will, and to be admired and aided. The witch explained that if Taiyo wanted to achieve his goals, he must travel back towards Kyoto. He had to visit the Biwa Lake and meditate at its shore. Because he was in ndeed, the great kami, Ko-No-Oku, would manifest. And she would tell Taiyo how he could breathe water and explore the sea. Taiyo heeded the witch's advice and headed south.

American Circuits

And once he reached the city, he intended to travel out to the largest lake in Japan. But he once again met up with Komodo. Taiyo was pleased. The Shih caught up again on old times. Komodo soon got down to business though. In the years passed since Nagasaki, Toshie picked up an apprentice. Tragedy later struck Toshie, as that aging Shih was slain in battle. Just as Komodo hoped, Taiyo immediately recognized his duty. Although he longed to complete the investigation of the Searing Winds and avenge his father, this debt of honor had to be first repaid. Komodo took the liberty earlier of disseminating hints to Toshie's now masterless pupil that Taiyo could be found in America, in the Little Asia district of Kansas City. Komodo then mentioned to Taiyo that he could find this Chinese girl, Zhengyi, there. Taiyo listened as his old mentor also warned that the Searing Winds and other gaki were hunting Taiyo. So the younger Shih agreed to leave Japan. Komodo added that this Little Asia could use such a bad-ass like Taiyo to shake up the status quo and keep the immigrant shen on their toes! Taiyo heartily concurred, then once more the two went separate ways.

Using a substantial amount of money Taiyo allocated over the years from various…sources, the Shih paid his passage to America. He went by freighter ship so he could bring some of his impressive arsenal, too. His smuggling fee included the cost to bribe to dock clerks and shipping officials. So once the craft reached San Diego, Taiyo was home-free. The trip went without a hitch, except a noisome Nezumi stowaway the Shih ended up tossing overboard in the middle of the Pacific… By the summer of 2004, Taiyo was in the States. He opted to hitchhike cross-country. Taiyo wanted to avoid the native, Occidental shen. Until he understood them better, he could not hunt them ethically or safely. Besides, Taiyo's priority was locating the late Toshie's student, Zhengyi. Of course, he was a tad irritated by this interruption in his investigation. But honor bound this demon hunter. In fact, it was one of the few restraints remaining. His soul stained forever in a river of blood, Taiyo teetered on the brink of damnation.





Significant Other


Taiyo met Zhengyi in the summer of 2004 because he was sent to Little Asia, Kansas City, to find her. At first, their acquaintance was purely professional. Taiyo took the girl under wing and began her Shih training full steam. However, both trainer and trainee found themselves yearning physically for each other. So sexual activity became a welcomed aspect of their relationship. Sure, the teacher-student nature was quite violated! But at least they're having some fun in their harsh and often short life.

Zhengyi

Significant Others


In 2012, Taiyo rescued the Lao twins from gaki in the Philippines. Kemina Lucita Maximo and Ceri Lucita Dolorita were young girls whose hatred burned clearly. He took the orphan girls under wing and began their apprenticeship not unlike how he taught Zhengyi. They've proved apt pupils and talented killers--real chips off the old block.

Kemina

Ceri

Weakness
Hunters Hunted


Taiyo epitomizes the bloody theme of the CoLA game. His hunger for blood is never quaffed. This makes him as monstrous and murderous as the demons he stalks. Is the world really improved by his actions?

Likelihood of Corruption


High.

Taiyo is nearly psychotic in his dedicated endeavors to rid the world of wicked shen. He's been possessed once and may again if he isn't careful. Fortunately, his ki is so well-developed that even unmanifested demons should fear his wrath. He doesn't need a Bane to augment his cold fury anyway. They're better off staying away.



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