Asakura Ietsuna

**Asakura Ietsuna** was an antagonist of the Mutsuraboshi Arc, who had wanted revenge against Takami for the death of one of his officers. A combination of both ruthlessness and determination, he made it very clear that he wanted to challenge him and did not even take measures to bring this towards his own boss' attention. He wanted a crack at the Manslayer and even sent people to his home to get a rise out of him.

After the score was settled between the two, Asakura learned the truth, that his own man had become a rat. He wanted to make amends and reported this discovery to the boss, however, she did not deem it necessary to punish him for his actions. With no lives lost, there was no reason to be hasty. As a means of making things right, he chose to accompany Takami, not only as a friend but as a rival too.

He is a legendary Yakuza, known as **The Black Knight of Kanto**.

## Personality

Despite his rough appearance, he is very methodical and meticulous, as he was able to obtain the identity of the person who killed Shigenori, even though that the mission had been kept confidential between the people who were summoned by Tomoe. When his mind is set on something, nothing can deter him from his path. He originally harbored a grudge against demons but after learning that there were others out there who did not warrant such prejudices, he learned to give them a second chance. But this mindset of his was not something so unordinary during the time in which he lived. A similarity he can share with Takami is the loss that comes after war.

In short, Asakura is an honorable Yakuza who is known for his emotional introversion but friendliness towards those who do right by him. The people who end up on the wrong side would do well to watch their back because they do not last long when he decides to eliminate them.

## Appearance

He is well-dressed, much like a Yakuza would be. But he prefers to wear a black cape over his suit, which is likely what earned him his moniker, **The Black Knight of Kanto** (関東の黒騎士, "*Kanto no Kurokishi."*) His outfit consists of black, red and gold patterns. The black symbolizing his vigilantism in the dark world of the Yakuza, the red is reminiscent of the Red Spider Lily which symbolizes death and the gold is a reference to his connection with the Golden Dragon, the fifth sacred beast that is unknown among the Four Directional Gods of Chinese mythology. His clothes provide the standard resistances against eir intrusion and magic formula.

## 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.