Shura Kobayashi (MLTO)

Shura "Boneflame" Kobayashi was a Main Character and Antagonist in "MLIV:TO".
He is one of Akihiro's students, a young monk who thinks that he is the Chosen One, yet is completely unaware that he is not the title's true holder.
He serves as one of the Main Antagonists of Chapter III.
== Overview ==
Shura is a mysterious, yet hardworking individual. His honesty towards others is his greatest trait and he uses it to gain their trust and attract them to his side.
Although he claims to be quite humble and wishes nothing more than to help others, something about him seems to be a bit off the charts. It is as if he is hiding some sort of dark secret, unknown to anyone around him, and that he is much more than he seems to be.
Despite being only a young man, Shura Kobayashi has already had his fair set of battles. He has participated in numerous skirmishes and has the scars to prove it. Brave and independent, he has always been a source of motivation amongst his peers and a future leading figure in the eyes of his master.
In his years as a monk and secluded individual, this man has kept his heart untainted by the darkness that has dwelled inside of him ever since he was a child. He does not say much, but his actions seem to be pure and true. And yet, some claim that his attitude is just a curtain that hides his true intentions. That a much darker self is hidden behind that mild, calm exterior.
Could it be this way?
== Personality ==
Shura is shown to be a quiet man who doesn't like talking to others. Socializing is quite foreign to him and he prefers to spend his free time reading books rather than befriending his peers.
In addition to that, Shura is also calm and collected. He has never shown any signs of excessive inner rage and, judging from the way he sees the world, he could be quite patient, as well.
Despite possessing a rather odd behavior, Shura is shown to be very competent in battle. He fights his enemies with an iron fist and always obeys his commands. However, his loyalty is focused solely on his master- Akihiro- making others think whether he is trying to redeem himself for some kind of mistake that he made in the past.
Shura also possesses a take-charge attitude, giving commands to his fellow monks whenever their master is not present. He sees himself as the Chosen One, the hero who is destined to defeat the darkness and bring a more peaceful future, so he expects to be seen as some kind of a god. This has caused many of his fellow students to resent him and think that he is doing this on purpose, to disrupt the balance of their temple and bring forth a dangerous force of darkness.
In other words, Shura's personality (and past) is always a mystery to everyone around him.
== Abilities ==
Unlike most fighters in the Ministory, Shura is not very good at using weapons. Instead, he relies on hand-to-hand combat to fight his way out of a perilous situation, a way of battle that is not uncommon for warrior monks like him.
Shura is also capable of using a small amount of dark magic, although it is completely unknown how he managed to acquire it.
== Death ==
=== Killed By ===
* Jared Kaos (Indirectly Caused)
During Geralt and Shura's first battle, the vile spirit attempts to shroud the hero in a cloud of black mist. However, Geralt manages to pull out a small vial of holy water, throwing it in Shura's direction and severely weakening him when it shatters on his face.
Although it is never revealed in the Ministory at any point, it turns out that Jared was the one who gave the vial to Geralt, indirectly causing the former monk's demise not long later.
* Ryozo Kimura (Caused, As a Spirit)
* Shura's Victims (Caused, As Spirits)
During Geralt's final confrontation with Shura Kobayashi, he calls upon the power of the spirits whom he had slain not too long ago. One of those unfortunate people was Ryozo Kimura- the cheerful and peaceful monk whose life was whisked away in a sad twist of despair, and whose hatred for his killer caused him to grant Geralt incredible power, strong enough to send the vile spirit back into the darkness from which it originated.
* Geralt Kaos
With his final ounces of power, Geralt manages to charge up a powerful spell. Protected by the spirits of all of his fallen allies, he has enough time to muster the strength that he needs and unleash the power of light upon his impure opponent.
Once the spell is complete, he aims it at the defenseless Shura. The impact is strong enough to shatter his entire body and soon, his soul. He spends his last moments lamenting why he had lost the battle, even though his powers were clearly bigger than those of Geralt.
Shura does not live long enough to see his own defeat. He perishes in the onslaught and is banished into the Netherworld for all eternity, never to return again. 
== Killed Victims ==
* Ryozo Kimura (Alive)
* A few unnamed monks (Caused and Direct)
* A few unnamed humanoids (Indirectly Caused)
== Trivia ==
* Shura is considered to be one of the most dangerous Antagonists in "MLIV:TO".
*Shura's name is of Russian origin. It means "Defender of Man".
* Shura's surname (Kobayashi) is of Japanese origin. In its original language, it is written as 小林(こばやし) and means "little forest", but can also mean "grove"
*Shura is the first major Antagonist in Chapter III.
*Shura is the first Antagonist with the alignment of "Lawful Neutral".
*Although their personalities and methods of battle are drastically different, it is implied that Shura and the man who nearly assassinated the King and Queen of Goznor and caused a lot of trouble for Geralt and his team are the same person. This means that Shura knows who Geralt is, despite the fact that he does a great job of pretending that he does not.
*According to Shura, the scar on his left eye is the remnant of a vicious wound that he received while fighting a vicious demon lord four years ago. Since he is allied with the forces of darkness, however, this could be a complete lie and he could have received it while fighting a group of innocent people who simply wanted to survive.
*Shura's favorite activity is gathering knowledge, even it is taken from less reliable sources.
*Shura's least favorite activity is socializing with others.
=== Deleted Sequences ===
* At first, it was considered for Shura's element to be Water and for his alignment to be Chaotic Neutral. He was going to be much more social toward his fellow students and have a crush on Aurelia, initiating a rivalry between him and Aurelia's true love- Geralt. However, it was eventually decided that his element and alignment shall be changed to Fire and Lawful Neutral, as he is meant to be different from most Antagonists in the series, being a villain who is meant to be a chaotic individual, but prefers to stay neutral most of the time and still respects the laws of the world... a little bit.