Kaoru "Pulse" Musashibou

**Kaoru Musashibou**, also known as "Pulse" and the "Oni of Osaka", is a member of the Snake Tong, and a member of the Musashibou branch of the Takeuchi Clan. Formerly part of Unit 8, she was reassigned to the Osakan Security Unit, guarding the Tong's holdings in Japan after her father decided that he needed her help in running the family's club in Dotonbori. At the age of 20, she became the assistant manager and occasional bartender of Cabaret Musashi. Using her training from the Cloak and Dagger Unit, she earned the nickname of Oni of Osaka after personally dealing with the occasional yakuza interference of the family business. While she has earned a relatively laidback posting in Japan, she has nevertheless carved a reputation in the Osakan underworld as a woman not to mess with.

## Background

Kaoru is the eldest daughter of Sae Takeuchi and Joji Musashibou, born to parents who both served the Snake Tong as enforcers. Her mother was also a member of the Takeuchi Clan, one of the oldest families that continued to serve the organization as warriors. Such a family resulted in her following the family tradition and training to be a fighter for the Tong since childhood. By the age of 13, she already acquired martial arts training from her family, along with developing her own magical capabilities and utilizing the Essence of "Pulse" that the Musashibou cultivate in their family as a weapon. By age 15 she was assigned to Unit 8 as a way to further enhance her training with assassination specialists. There she befriended members such as Mao Ligao and Cards Berani. Teräskäsi training thanks to Katja Nikula and Gjerta Toksvig has not only made her a brutal close-range fighter, but it also made her develop assassination techniques that killed targets in the shortest amount of time and least amount of action, culminating into moves like the "Sheer Heart Attack" or the "You're already dead".

By age 20, and after years of missions with Unit 8, Kaoru was personally requested by her father to be reassigned to the special Osaka Security Unit, specifically in Cabaret Musashi in the Dotonbori district. Although she already expected this, she was nevertheless saddened from the separation from her old Unit after years of serving together. They said that the farewell party before her flight to Japan rivaled the debauchery when Fenghuang herself threw parties.

She quickly adapted to her new assignment, quickly becoming "Assistant Manager" to her dad in Cabaret Musashi, and even picking up mixology and working as a bartender for the club, even crossdressing to become a host, as Cabaret Musashi catered to both male and female clientele. However, these cabaret duties were merely a cover for the true purpose of the Osakan Security Unit, which was dispatching any hostiles within or coming into Japan that interfere with the Tong's assets and holdings. While it mostly involves dealing with meddlesome yakuza or independent magi unknowingly messing with Shiai-shi business, it has nevertheless earned her the title of "Oni of Osaka" due to her monstrous strength and ferocity whenever she "throws hands" with any troublemakers.

## Personality

Kaoru is a rather laid-back individual, and can be commonly seen lazing about, either sleeping or drinking and eating while playing games. This came about after she got assigned to what she considers a "cushy position". Most of her time is spent "holding down the fort" in Cabaret Musashi and just dealing with smal fry troublemakers like drunk yakuza. Prior to this, she still had the laid-back side to her, but years of strict training and discipline from the Takeuchi clan made her more or less a dedicated warrior and agent of the Tong. She still is fiercely loyal to her family and the organization, but has definitely let the freedom of working outside of the standard units change some of her attitude. She still dedicated to training and combat, as she "burns off" all the alcohol and food with the rather intense training regimens she had as a kid and a member of Unit 8.

She still loves a good old fight. Her laid-back nature seemingly vanishes whenever it involves a fight. Kaoru earned her other alias of "Oni of Osaka" due to her rather oni-like nature in a fight. She does not hold back, and would mainly use brute force, accompanied with the agility and lethality of incorporating techniques from Shaolin Kung Fu, Kali, Teräskäsi, and several others thanks to her Lim Ga Kuen background. Even when she could easily end a fight with a precision strike to the heart, she'd prefer drawing out a fight whenever she knows she's outclassed her opponent. Sparring with her results in long flashy fights, with Kaoru playing around most of the time unless of course she really is intent in defeating/eliminating a foe.

She's picked up Mixology in Cabaret Musashi, and has become quite the skilled bartender when it comes to mixing all sorts of cocktails and drinks, and was more than happy to share her new skills with Unit 8 whenever they visit Osaka either on leave or on missions. She also started fancying herself as a skilled bar conversationalist, like what she sees in movies were the bartender just knows exactly what to say to downtrodden patrons at her establishment. While she is easy to talk to an has no problem adapting to the conversations of different types of people, the "bartender wisdom" that she boasts of having is not necessarily the best advice one would get.

Kaoru is a very flirty woman, openly expressing her desires to people she is attracted to. S he is especially attracted to strong-willed individuals. While she doesn't push it when people are not interested, those who reciprocate her advances will find someone who is open to her carnal desires. She makes it clear that it's simply physical attraction however, and is not the type of attraction that will delve into a romantic relationship. She used to think that she's just afraid of commitment but Kaoru realized that she just doesn't get the whole idea of romantic love. She feels love for family and friends, and understands the dedication that comes with this, but a dedication for one as a lover or spouse eluded her. At first she she thought she was broken or "weird" for being unable to "get" romance like normal people too, and even felt guilt thinking she was just an awful person being unable to feel romantic love despite having intimate physical relationships. She first started realizing this after entering a relationship with a certain someone in her teens as she explored her own sexuality. The uncertainty of this relationship, of whether or not they were simply friends with benefits or something more, has haunted Kaoru whenever they were together, until it culminated in her realizing she was aromantic, unable to feel and reciprocate romantic love. She had to be open about this with her partner and after a rather long conversation and careful explanations of what she felt, the two maintained a friendly relationship while they jokingly flirted and even hooked up a few times afterwards. But they knew it was best to openly declare that neither of them will become each other's "girlfriend". While she can appreciate and engage in physical intimacy with others, she is candid about her lack of romantic feelings and communicates it openly so she can make sure to respecting others' emotions and boundaries. Whenever she knows things won't work out with someone she is attracted to, she won't even bother pursuing an intimate encounter with them beyond friendliness. Even after figuring out why she is like this, she continues to feel conflict about it, as part of her kind of wishes this idealized version of romance with someone, and her flirty and promiscuous nature is one way of coping with this, and the hope of finding that right person still exists within her. She does not mind people calling her scared of commitment or a jerk for this, as she has heard it countless of times already, and is also one way of letting her reassure people that "it's not you, it's me".

As a member of the Takeuchi clan, her laid-back nature as of late has never interfered with the loyalty and dedication that her family emphasizes. She is and will always be a Takeuchi and an agent of the Tong and serves both faithfully. Her mother was very adamant about teaching her about loyalty and sincerity, and she makes sure to follow Kaoru own code, as her mother stated that the Takeuchi tenets are not strict codes to adhere to entirely, but guides to shape one's own principles. While she would not hesitate to kill a threat to her and the organization, she also has a more compassionate side, letting those she clearly sees do not deserve death go and giving them a second chance.

Kaoru is multilingual thanks to the people she grew up with. From Standard Japanese and Osaka-ben thanks to her family, to the Bikol used by Unit 8, and of course the English and Tagalog used by most Snake members as lingua franca. She has picked up the mannerisms of an Osaka-ben speaker thanks to her time spent as part of the Osaka Security Unit, but natives of Osaka also mention that she has her own unique accent thanks to all the other languages that influence her way of speaking. Not that she minds, as Kaoru finds that whenever she starts speaking Osaka-ben, it attracts certain people that find it "sexy".

## Abilities

### Magic

Kaoru has received the standard Shiai-shi magic training. She knows the fundamentals needed to fight other magi, and Reinforcement is her main area of focus due to the combat-intensive nature of her role in the organization, reinforcing the durability and potency of her body, clothes, and weapons, allowing her to be a heavy-hitting and durable fighter. One specific magic technique that she learned is a specific way of projecting her own many and making said mana violently invade the bodies of people or the structures of objects, allowing her to channel her own mana directly as a destructive "pulse", hence her name. It's a technique utilized by the Musashibou as an equalizer against physically stronger foes and an assassination weapon. Kaoru has developed this technique to the point where she can project her own mana through a single finger and creating a violent pulse inside an enemy's internal body. She developed a specific move with her time in Unit 8 called "Sheer Heart Attack", which sends a pulse of mana into the heart of an opponent, causing it to explode. These techniques earned her the nickname Pulse as a result. Such projection into other bodies or even non-living things like walls is done by physically touching them and sending in her own mana as a destructive pulse, something she can do effortlessly thanks to her family essence of "Pulse" which makes it natural for her to make her mana project in such a manner. While magi can resist it by bulking up their own magic resistance, Kaoru utilizes the technique as a surprise weapon against magi who might be able to react fast enough and repulse the mana shock she's about to give them.

### Martial Arts

Utilizing the fundamentals of Forest Fist, Kaoru has developed her own personal style that integrates explosive close-quarters techniques from Bajiquan, Arnis, Teräskäsi, and highly agile Shaolin Kung Fu and Takeuchi-style Kenpo has turned her into a dangerous fighter at close quarters. Combining her Mana Projection techniques makes her a threat to many at close-range. Her usage of weapons like her Khakkahara amplifies her destructive capabilities even more, although she prefers unarmed combat unless using weapons are absolutely necessary. Her overall way of fighting reminded her opponents of Oni, hence her other moniker as the Oni of Osaka.

### Equipment

#### Snake Key

A standard issue Shiai-shi balisong, or butterfly knife that is more of a tool than a weapon. The blade itself was made with special materials that are not necessarily strong enough for heavy combat. The pride of the Pranaja Empu smiths, the steel during forging blessed the property to disperse mana. Since it disperses magical energy, the blade of the knife can't be reinforced with magic. However, the reason why it's named a key is because users can create holes within certain points of a Bounded Field. Since the blade merely disperses mana and not outright destroys it, it creates thinned and weakened areas in a Bound Field that is more susceptible of being bypassed physically without triggering an alarm for the owner.

It can also be used against an enemy using Reinforcement on his body. If the balisong is stabbed onto the target's arm, for example, the magical energy of the reinforcement spell disperses to other parts of his body and his arm is now more weakened thanks to the lower amount of mana for reinforcement. Mao could then exploit this weakness and perhaps send in air bullets to enter his body from the arm, which is no longer as protected as the rest of his body.

Kaoru utilizes her key primarily to weaken enemies who can resist her pulses and make them more vulnerable to a finishing blow with a killer pulse.

#### Musashi Cabaret Armor

Modified magic armor based on the standard suit utilized by Snake agents and altered to look like the staff uniform of Cabaret Musashi . The suit is made with a composite of multiple magical materials, a major one being Huohuan Bu Silk from a Spider Yaoguai. This makes the Suit durable (enough to withstand modern gunfire and magical projectiles), easily enchantable with magic, and has innate fire resistance. If the Suit was stained, one simply needs to burn the area with the stain and the mess will soon disappear without damaging the cloth. While she also has her old standard suit at the ready, the Cabaret armor sees more common usage with Kaoru in her current assignment.

#### "Shroud Ties"

Shroud Ties are standard issue magic armor and head protection, cleverly disguised as neckties that allow them to blend in with the Bulletproof Snake suit style. By pulling down the tie and channeling mana through them, the ties transform into balaclava masks that provide full coverage of the head and neck. The material is made to be as bulletproof as the suits and also provide the same magical protection. The Shroud Tie can be deactivated by the user removing the mask, and it will turn back into their necktie forms.

In order to blend in with her cabaret armor, her Shroud Tie was modified to appear like a bow-tie, and retains her old Hannya mask design whenever deployed.

#### **地震** - Jishin Staff

An enchanted Khakkahara gifted to Kaoru by her mother, and is an ideal catalyst for amplifying the mana projection that Kaoru does, allowing her to have even more destructive potential in exchange of precision. She primarily uses the staff for breaking down walls or fighting off multiple enemies and for crowd control.