Atsuhiko Kurou
Hingan Ronin | Aspect of Flame | Wayward Kurou
Ronin Life
Since the days of his youth, Atsuhiko has pushed to become a hero of Hingashi, training each and every day to achieve his dream. Having spent quality time with various martial weapons, this hingan has excelled in growing his skills in blades. Despite his current situation, Hiko continues to push for justice and peace within his homeland in hope to achieve his dream of becoming a hero.However, dreams are not always as easy as they seem, and often are laden with obstacles some heroes might find intolerable. Though the laws of the lands speak one way, the way of a ronin does not always fit this precise step of puzzle pieces. A syndicate, dedicated to the rise of a demonic primal, was all it took to open the eyes of young Atsuhiko to the horrors of what his dream may entail. Syndicate assassins stormed his family's estate and slaughtered not only the guards and samurai protecting his bloodline, but the servants and children as well. His mother and a few childhood friends were also taken hostage to add salt to the wound. Upon returning to this disastrous site, Atushiko was brought to his knees in fear and pain he had never imagined possible.The call for help was brought forth to his cousins and their organization for assistance in reclaiming his family's honor and avenging the death of those he cherished, forcing himself to set his current path to the side to ensure victory was thorough. When the final engagement with this syndicate came forth, it revealed the pure insanity that could be brought to one's mind for a single decision made from the past. His mother and two close servants were sacrificed in the ritual to bring forth a demi-primal of Diabolos, forged from seething hatred and blood. A man that Hiko onced considered a brother was now the embodiment of every mistake he had made. If it were not for the sacrifice of his childhood friend to see the ritual incomplete, far worse repercussions could be assumed had they failed that day. With the final blow struck, and the demi primal dissolved from his form, the hingan inside threw out his final curses towards Atsuhiko, blaming the Ronin for leaving and causing his own life to crumble, an entire situation that could have been avoided had Hiko taken him along.Atsuhiko learned that day that every set of actions has unique consequences, no matter how they are made. Even if those actions are fueled by justice, the ramifications of not seeing both sides of the conflict will prove painful. Though his dreams of galivanting around Hingashi as a hero are certainly not broken, they are far more tame than they once were. Every choice this Ronin makes will be burdened by the consequences he failed to see prior. Every situation will be carefully monitored and thought out before acting upon his instincts. From the ashes of his pain and mistakes, this ronin rises as a stronger warrior. However, whether this will affect his desire to continue playing the role of hero, only time will tell.
Description
Standing at a proud six foot and two inches, Hiko holds a proud yet humbled stature, the makings of warrior and fighter. As with any Kurou, his crimson eyes act as distinguisher amongst the other resident Hingans, constantly observing the area around him. Despite his gear, this hingan is quite friendly and welcoming, a warm demeanor for anyone within his presence. Like with most heroes, his friends and family are most important to him and will throw himself in front of danger to protect others. His slender figure is hidden beneath his gear, a lean muscular body taxed from years of training, scars and tattoos alike adorning his paler complexion.While not a natural born leader, Atushiko often finds himself taking on the role to guide his company in missions. From basic roles such as protector to information broker, this hingan ronin always searches for a way to make his goals possible. Whether this is from brute strength tactics or infiltration, there is no obstacle that Hiko will not try and overcome to ensure the victory for others. His personal health and well being is often second to those he serves alongside with, treating each member of his group as a sibling he wants to see succeed.On the other hand, Hiko favors situations of humor when it's laid out before him. Despite the serious nature of most of his missions, when it comes to downtime, the mask of the responsibility can be cast aside for a precious few hours. After all, all work and no play would make Hiko a very stressed out ronin with the demeanor of an elder sekiseigumi. From rabbit masks at Steppe Ramen, to drinking competitions and games at the Kurone estate, Hiko is sure to try and be the life of the party. He understands the perils and stress that his fellow Kurone members go through and knows that they could just as easily fall to the burdens of these weights. The morale of his group is rather important to him.
Background
Born to one of Kurou brothers of Hingashi, Atsuhiko was raised to become the heir to his father's legacy. A samurai meant to lead his men into battle and bring honor and glory to his household like his father before him. While some heirs are assigned a specific path to follow to ensure their succession, Atsuhiko was presented with several, ranging from a more political background or a more combat driven background. The stories of heroes long before ultimately decided this path for young Hiko when he chose the role of a samurai. This opened the door for the first few years of lessons of understanding the role a samurai had in their society, as well as the responsibilities tied to it, followed by training lessons with the samurai of his father's estate. While a natural born fighter, Atsuhiko's fiery pride often was the breaking point of his actions. Humbling himself before others became more like second nature to him well into his teenage years. Though this burning pride of his was tempered and brought him further in lessons than others, there was still more he had to witness before going off on his ownWith this elevated ego and ever growing desire to become a beloved hero of Hingashi, Hiko set off on his path laid before him, delving into his mental and physical training while growing with a few of the kids within the estate, including his childhood crush, Yua and his best friend, Junichi. As time passed on, so did their stories, with Hiko eventually taking his leave upon reaching a young adult age to build his fame and fortune as a Samurai. Years of a hero complex and fiery ego fueled his adventures, creating various friends while also making quite a few enemies from the organizations he brought down. There were very little initial consequences to his actions as he paraded himself through Hingashi, as life lessons padded the footsteps beneath him while his father padded the pockets of citizens who were victim to Hiko's destructive methods of bringing criminals to justice. There was so much to be done and only a limited time to experience it all before Hiko would need to return to his estate and take on the role as head of the family. These last few years of freedom would be turning point of his life as his eventual return home was met with a fate far worse than he could imagine.
