Koito Otonoshin

Koito is a tall, dark-skinned man.

Hayato origin. He has dark, slightly wavy hair with a purple tint, which he combs to the left. His large, angular eyebrows are usually furrowed, and two distinct wrinkles are visible on his forehead. He has black, narrow eyes with deep bags. The uniform is generally the same as that of the regular army, but is khaki instead of dark blue. He wears a short khaki button-up overcoat with two chest pockets and two side pockets, with red lapels on the collar with "27th Regiment" printed on both sides. His insignia is red with gold piping, with a single gold stripe across and a gold star in the center; the shoulder straps on his uniform are arranged vertically. On the sleeves are insignia with a thin red line and a small gold star. He wears a belt with a round buckle over the coat and dark blue trousers with a red stripe, tucked into military leather boots. He does not usually wear a military cap. In cold weather, Koito wears a long, double-breasted, khaki coat with a hood. With the exception of the collar, it has the same insignia and epaulettes as his regular uniform. Koito also wears leather gloves.

Koito is an experienced young lieutenant. He stands 173 centimeters tall. He is somewhat naive, eccentric, loud, and childish. He is quick-witted and incredibly intelligent, demonstrating considerable skill in combat, although when pushed to the limit, he can become quite ruthless. Due to his father's exclusion from the Russo-Japanese War, he is inexperienced and spoiled, which often leads to behavior that could be described as spoiled. This is not helped by Koito's penchant for luxury and frivolity. Koito is prone to violent reactions, rash decisions, and idealization of authority figures rather than critically assessing situations. Despite his experience and talent, he lags behind in terms of moral and emotional maturity: he is easily influenced by strong personalities and acts more out of admiration and loyalty than from his own convictions. Koito Otonoshin can become embarrassed and blush over trivial matters. His emotions are expressed violently on the surface (shouting, impulsiveness, theatricality), but he hides deeper feelings—guilt, fear of abandonment, dependence—behind the façade of an eccentric officer. Koito's aggression is instrumental: he is cruel not out of a cold, sadistic stance, but as a duty to a figure he worships; this facilitates the rationalization of violence. His morality is superficially borrowed: the criteria for "good" and "bad" are determined by what is beneficial to Tsurumi and the division, not by an internal code. Therefore, he is dangerous precisely in a group and under the command of a leader.

Psychologically close to borderline disorder (emotional lability, idealization/devaluation), exacerbated by survivor trauma and military culture.

Koito Otonoshin comes from a military family from Kagoshima (Satsuma): his father was Commander Heiji Koito, his mother was Yuki Koito, and his older brother was Heinojo Koito, who died in the Sino-Japanese War in 1895, when Koito was about eight years old. His sword training was intense and began early, emphasizing Satsuma's cultural context as a stronghold of warriors during the Meiji era. Transition to the Army: After growing up in the provinces, Koito quickly rose to officer rank in the 7th Division, likely due to his innate talents and the Satsuma upbringing that emphasized service and loyalty.

Intellectually, he is observant, capable of quickly assessing a situation and making effective tactical decisions, which contrasts with his personal immaturity. Behaviorally, he combines two extremes: professional composure in battle and childish impulsiveness in emotional reactions (dialect, outbursts, overacting), as if the roles of "officer" and "teenager" are not integrated within him. Otonoshin can blush, fidget, raise his voice, and speak even more rapidly and confusedly, even abruptly slipping into Satsuma dialect, as if "talking over" his awkwardness. He makes abrupt gestures, overacts, feigns confidence or bravado—his outward theatricality masks his inner shyness and vulnerability.

Sword/Saber (Officer's Blade): Koito's signature weapon; he uses the Jigen-ryu style, using powerful slashing attacks and combining them with acrobatics and high speed. Bayonet and Bayonet Combat: As an infantry officer, he is trained in rifle and bayonet combat, though his persona emphasizes bladed weapons and close combat. Infantry Rifle: Standard training for a 7th Division soldier includes proficiency with the Army rifle, firing at medium range, and using it in formation. Service Pistol: As an officer, he must be proficient with a short-barreled weapon for close combat and self-defense, though this is less emphasized in the story than his fencing skills. Hand-to-hand combat: Good coordination, endurance, and acrobatics allow him to fight effectively unarmed or using improvised objects. Improvised weapons and stunts (horse, bicycle, environment): Through circus/acrobatic maneuvers, he can utilize any support, height, speed, and objects in a combat situation, enhancing the effectiveness of his primary weapon.

Swordsmanship: Koito trained in Jigen-ryū, a traditional school of swordsmanship from Satsuma. He was able to defeat Sugimoto and duel Hijikata, a seasoned and skilled samurai. Koito possesses exceptional speed and endurance, capable of chasing even characters whose signature move is incredibly fast running without tiring. As a soldier in the elite 7th Division, he possesses a high level of overall physical fitness, including strength, reflexes, and resistance to stress, allowing him to operate effectively in challenging conditions. He can perform risky maneuvers, quickly change positions, and use the surrounding space in hand-to-hand combat and fencing.

Satsuma Japanese (satsugū hōgen) is a southern dialect of Japanese spoken in the region of the former Satsuma domain. Satsuma Japanese is characterized by syllable shortening, the use of closed syllables, and glottal stops, resulting in words that are shorter and more "choppy" than in standard Japanese. The pronunciation and accent are so unconventional that the dialect is sometimes perceived as almost a separate language; to the ear, it conveys a sense of roughness, harshness, and "vulgarity."