Akane Fujimoto

"*Listen. You're you, Raiden, and that's the end of it. Nothing more, nothing less. Sure, you're a killer, and a real bastard at that. Anyone would hate you if they knew that about you... But you're fine just the way you are. I don't care who hates you. I need you as you are now, as a comrade. No one loves you more than I do, kid... Live for the sake of those you cherish: live for my sake. That way, you won't have to acknowledge any more than that.*"
—Akane to Raiden

**Akane Fujimoto** (藤本茜 *Fujimoto Akane*) is Raiden's mentor and former caretaker. She is a supporting character and acts as Raiden's mental and spiritual guide throughout his life as an IS pilot.

## Appearance

Akane was a tall and attractive woman, who usually wore her dark blue hair in a ponytail. Her usual attire consisted of an A-shirt that is white at the piece at the back of her neck to the top of her breasts. She also wore black pants and black boots. She has been seen wearing her blue jacket over her shoulders.

## Personality

She was both harsh and sweet, capable and competent, and drilled many of her own values into Raiden. Thanks to her job of bringing him up, he can at least act normal, but now possesses a strong wariness for the horrors of large women. She was also completely and utterly incompetent at cooking as she couldn't even make fried rice.

Akane wasn't particularly different from Raiden; she loved to read. She was so content to pass time with a book, a pack of cigarettes, and a pot of coffee especially on rainy days when she didn't have anything particular to do. As a child, she went out of her way to disregard any rules set but she was very stubborn about upholding her own rules and morals. To a fault, she was a troubling child.

In her youth, Akane believed that only those that prove themselves worthy can survive in a world she believes was "full of shit and only got worse when the IS was invented." The unworthy, whatever way they are proven, are not worth living in the world in her eyes, hence why she doesn't believe in the ideals of justice, calling it a lie, and despises certain people like the Americans despite working for them as CIA.

## Background

Akane was an orphan in an unknown American orphanage and is known to be a troublesome kid. She was one of the first kids to approach the newly arrived Miriam Walker, who eventually become their roommate and gave her the nickname Miri. While the nurses there are having trouble dealing with Akane, Miriam was able to exploit Akane's principles to handle her. During middle school, Akane became a fierce and bitter rival of Chifuyu Orimura, getting into fights with her. This dynamic would eventually be continued up until adulthood.

After graduating from high school, Akane enrolled in the US Marines at Camp Pendleton, becoming one of the best female snipers with the rank of First Sergeant. She served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. After being honorably discharged, she then enrolled into the CIA alongside Miriam, who became her supervisor and handler.

While working for the CIA, Akane at one point went on a mission to fight with Squall Meusel. It was in that battle that Akane received a bullet wound to the head that would serve as a reminder never to lower her guard again. Since then, she has sought out Squall to get some payback.

Akane was unable to capture Squall Meusel during Operation Asgard's Hammer, but she found Raiden Hataru in the forest and rescued the young boy. After the mission, Akane decided to take custody of the orphaned Raiden. She took the boy to her cabin in the Yamanashi mountains. Slowly, Raiden came to trust his new master. In the following years, Akane helped Raiden suppress his trauma and began to train him while also sending him off to meet with the master of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, Hiko Seijūrō XVIII (Ryuuin Shinonono). Raiden's routine consisted of running, fighting, and reading books. Akane also taught him to handle guns and drive vehicles. Worried about Raiden's lack of interest in girls, Akane began to have sex with him and took his virginity.

When she heard that Raiden became the 2nd male IS pilot, she acknowledged that she has done what she could for Raiden and that it was up to him to decide his fate from now on without her to guide the way. Retiring from the CIA, she moved to Omega and became a bounty hunter, making a name for herself under the codename Fett and working for Aria Ikeuchi, the Pirate Queen. She still maintains contact with Raiden and Miriam, with Chifuyu sometimes coming in between.

Akane soon founded the Fujimoto Clan, a gang that consists mostly of bounty hunters and former military officers and soldiers. With her position as Daimyo, the clan operated as a militarized vigilante force on Omega, putting down small time gangs and their operations in return for hefty sum from Aria and other employers who seek their services. Due to her reputation, Omegans of her district began to address Akane formally as Her Ladyship, to her discomfort as she feels she is not suited for that.

## Relationships

**Raiden Hataru**: Akane was the one who found Raiden in Squall's mansion, chained up and severely malnourished and dehydrated. She decided of her own volition to take care of him and raise him, with Miriam acting as her supervisor on the Director's orders. To Raiden, Akane was not a mother nor a sister to him but rather something of a mentor. Akane raised and trained Raiden strictly and harshly, instilling her moral values and teachings into his head, but treated him with great care and affection, even going so far as to have sexual intercourse with him to teach him about womanizing, which became a great help to him in the Academy. It was she that sent Raiden to the US Marines in order to learn how to fight in close quarter combat on her authority as a former member of the US Marines. When she heard that Raiden became the 2nd male IS pilot, she acknowledged that she has done what she could for Raiden and that it was up to him to decide his fate from now on without her to guide the way.

**Miriam** **Walker**: A childhood friend that she knew since their days in the orphanage, Miriam and Akane are not what most would think. Often, the two would get into arguments due to conflicting ideologies and viewpoints of the world. But they were the only friends they ever had in their orphanage days and Akane was the one who gave Miriam her nickname of Miri. The two looked after Raiden as he grew up yet Miri was the one who would always be on the receiving end of things that she did not agree with, such as Raiden taking on Akane's job when the latter was not feeling so well.

**Chifuyu** **Orimura**: Chifuyu and Akane had known each other since childhood but the two were hardly friends nor acquaintances. Often, they provoked conflict with one another and fought each other whether to see who is the strongest (Akane) or to protect the weak and unworthy (Chifuyu). Surprisingly, the two were always even in their fights as they never came close to killing one another despite the urge to do so. By high school, the two went on separate paths and had not heard from one another since until Raiden enrolled into the Academy.

Despite feeling bitter, Chifuyu gradually came to respect Akane for raising someone like Raiden, a task Chifuyu failed to do after rescuing him.

**Squall Meusel**: The two had only met and fought once during an operation where Squall was the target. Akane came close to killing Squall but had accidentally left her guard down, prompting Squall to shoot Akane in the head, nearly killing her. Squall respected Akane and knew that she would come after her for the rest of her life, which gave her the idea of "handing" Raiden over to Akane to raise until Raiden comes back to her hands.

**Aria Ikeuchi**: Aria is Akane's employer, someone who gives her a job only a bounty hunter can do. In exchange, Akane is given a plethora amount of cash depending if the bounty is worth more either alive or dead. As a joke, Akane addresses Aria as "Jabba" or, mockingly, "the fat slug". Aria doesn't seem to mind the nicknames Akane gives her as their interactions have often been professional. Aria even granted Akane a district portion of Omega for Akane to rule as daimyo, so long as she pays tribute to the Pirate Queen in return.

## History

Akane was an orphan in an unknown orphanage and is known to be a troublesome kid. She was one of the first kid to approach the newly arrived Miriam Walker, who eventually become their roommate and nicknamed her Miri. While the nurses there are having trouble dealing with Akane, Miri was able to exploit Akane's principles to handle her. This dynamic would eventually be continued up until adulthood.

Akane eventually enrolled in the US Marines, becoming one of the best female combatants and snipers, having wracked up more body counts in military history. She was an acquaintance of Lance Corporal Mary "Bloody Mary" Rowes whose lives they saved countless times on the battlefield. Akane then left to enroll into the CIA with Miri while Rowes went on to reach the rank of Captain.

Akane was unable to capture Squall Meusel during Operation Asgard's Hammer, but she found Raiden Hataru in the forest and rescued the young boy. After the mission, Akane decided to take custody of the orphaned Raiden. She took the boy to her cabin in the Yamanashi mountains. Slowly, Raiden came to trust his new master.

For years, Akane raised Raiden, instilling into him her morals and views of the world, training and teaching him how to fight effectively, and how to interact with others. She was the one who suggested Raiden take up the path of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū with Hiko Seijūrō XVIII as his master in the art of swordsmanship.

By the time Raiden was enrolled into the IS Academy, Akane had decided to move to Omega. There she took on a career as a bounty hunter. As her reputation and credits rose, she then established her own gang called the Fujimoto Clan, with her as its daimyo. There she rules through respect instead of fear and provides protection services to the people of Omega, including bounty hunting.

## Quotes

*"It's just as you thought, Miri. We found something interesting in the forest."*

*"It's alright. You can fight and live for your own sake now."* -Akane's words to Raiden before he departs for the Academy.

*"Go, Raiden... And live."* -Akane's image to Raiden.

*"Why must everyone bow at me? I'm not suited for this."* -Akane seeing people bow to her.

*"This is my district. These are my people. I will not abandon them."* -Akane as daimyo of the Fujimoto Clan

## Trivia

* Akane's appearance and personality are based off of Asako Kusakabe from the Grisaia Trilogy
* Remarkably for all of her beauty and works, Akane cannot cook at all, hence why Miriam did most of the cooking
	+ One time Akane made rice porridge by throwing in "a bunch of healthy crap" for nutrients, even going so far as to add a deer's cock and testicles in it. Miri threw it out when she horrifyingly discovered what happened.