Hiroe Yagyu

**Yagyu Hiroe** is one of the Jūheitai members that end up accompanying Takami during his journey of world restoration. At first skeptical of his skill as a swordsman, she challenges him to a duel and sees first hand the reason why he is called one of the Four Manslayers of the Heisei period. Honoring the conditions of their battle, she decides to lend her aid to him and they venture around the world together to put an end to the feud between the Cardinal Deities. Through hell and high water, they look out for each other no matter how difficult the path ahead seems, a type of bond they share as swordsman.

## Personality

Hiroe sometimes hides her sadism behind sarcastic and playful jokes. Despite her young age, she is wise beyond her years and has a good head on her shoulders. Usually when a conflict arises in the group, she knows how to keep everything together so that nothing escalates further, but she will not hold back with her words either. She only wishes to face powerful opponents so that she can evolve her sword style even further and break past her limits. Portrayed with the eyes of a killer, she can only relate to people who find enjoyment in taking the lives of others.

## Appearance

She wears a cuirass featured a frontal plate with visible exposed platelets stitched together by a white thread. Her outfit appears to be made of egawa leather padding, placed over the chest area of her cuirass, but it is also mounted on the back of the armor as well which gives her top a unique appearance. Around her wrists are cylindrical leather gauntlets designed with a vermillion lacquer tough that protect her wrist right up to the elbow. She also has metal fittings on the outer edges to increase durability. Her waistguard consists of four unique tassets made of exposed iron platelets that were woven together. The long skirt that is worn with her armor carries the faint scent of red spider lilies. Her greaves are made from connected half-cylinder iron plates, fastened to the legs with lilac-colored straps and short trimmings that have been fixed in a bundle along the lower edges as a sort of decoration. Her entire outfit is imbued with Athrum for protection from spells, demon attacks, and eir intrusion.

## Abilities

**Halfling Physiology**: Halflings possesses the following features well above the level of an ordinary human: dexterity, strength, speed, sensory capabilities, adaptability, coordination, balance, healing, reflex, agility, durability, regeneration and endurance. Eir/Seithr being the universal force that it is, stimulates or improves all of their physical capabilities and because of this these things are naturally expected of someone who has awoken to the power it can provide. Most of their power comes from their non-human parent, an example would be that of a Demon Lord's child, which would only be able to fight at the level of a Demon Prince because that is considered half of their power. Halflings can move at speeds well beyond the return stroke of lightning with ease, lift entire skyscrapers, stay underwater for several days, survive point-blank explosives and regenerate from fatal wounds.

Their only shortcoming is a lack of stamina, though they can fight longer than humans, they can't exert themselves for too long as a result of their cellular incompatibility. They appear to have semi-immortality since they no longer age physically after reaching adulthood and in most cases cannot be killed by conventional human methods such as poisoning, being shot/stabbed or being hit with powerful spells. However it is not impossible for them to develop illnesses and sicknesses.

Demon Halflings can succumb to something called **Demon Madness** (鬼神狂気, *Kishin* *Kyoki)* where they become deranged and their demonic heritage becomes too much for them to control. Their view will become distorted and they will enter a state of paranoia where they believe that everyone is their enemy. In this state, the person themselves have already blacked out, only awakening after they have either been stopped or have killed the threat that pushed them into that state. It only activates during: a traumatic experience, too much exposure to demon blood or being injured to the state where they rely on their primal instincts.