Daiji

## Daiji Masoaka

Daiji Masoaka (大児 正岡) is a side character in the Onibi series.

He is Mai's first aid and bodyguard, he is a member of the Shishikusa Clan, He is considered the best bodyguard and samurai in Castle Town by Ryou and many others.

He is heavily injured and on the verge of the grave days after Akari's death, his fate remains unknown.

## Appearance

Daiji's appearance is unknown, as he had not been describe at all in Masa's blog, but it can be certain that he is carrying a sword or a katana at his side all the time in order to protect Mai.

## Personality

Daiji's personality can be described as being generally polite and absolutely devoted to those he considered his "leaders" meaning those he serves, like Mai, Ryou and Tomonari. He expresses his thanks and gratefulness to Tomonari deeply.

When teased, he gets flustered easily and excuses himself in a polite demeanor although embarrassed, this is shown when Mai teases him in order for him to leave her be. It is noted that no matter what situation, he still refers to the Shishikusa family with their name and "sama".

Outside of the Shishikusa family, when assigned by Tomonari to assassinate Samurais that entered the Castle Town and such. Or per say, do the dirty work for him, Daiji doesn't dare spare one of the Samurais.

Moreover, when it was Daiji who did the job, they would disappear without a trace, not one bit of their corpses left behind, this earned him the name "Spirited Away."

## Background

### Early life

Daiji was born in the Masoaka Clan, a completely different Castle Town from the Shishikusas.

Daiji's blood relatives are all samurais without exception, as in the Masoaka family, they were taught that those who bear this surname will devote themselves to their leader for as long as they live.

The Castle town that Daiji's Family lived in seemed safe, and the Masoaka Clan was thriving, they were lauded as the most strongest in a straight forward battle. As a result, the castle town’s military commander was renowned, this caused the Masoaka Clan to be considered as nuisance.

At one point, the military commanders of the three castles surrounding the castle town joined forces and launched a surprise attack on Daiji's castle town.

As one would expect, it took time for the Masaoka clan to get back on its feet after the unexpected attack from the military commanders, but once they did, the commanders were done for.

Mentioning again that the Masoaka Clan is well-known as the strongest. They managed to kill two out of the three commanders, and the clans who partook as their troops and guards were almost annihilated. But even with the Masoaka Clan's strength, they were unprepared. There was a surprise attack launched by a large army.

In order to fight against this force, they needed all the remaining clan members to take them on, as some have died in the attempt to murder the previous military commanders. A few of Daiji's Family were sent to the castle, and the rest met the army head-on, proposing a direct fight.

Due to that moment of weakness, the Castle Town Daiji lived in fell, and his clan was targeted, mostly because of their involvement and actions.

Women and children were not spared, the blood of Daiji'so family was considered a major threat, resulting in most of the Masoaka clan either getting killed, or escaping while hiding and abandoning their name.

At the age of seven, Daiji's mother ended up bringing him to the Castle Town of the Shishikusas, and that's where he lived ever since.

His mother later died, probably because of old age or natural causes, and Daiji still kept his original name, Masaoka, refusing to abandon it or hide it.

### The Spider And The Fox Like-Lion

> *"He's a skilled bodyguard, so he has been entrusted to guard my daughter, Mai."* —Ryou talking about Daiji
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On the 2nd of May, Daiji goes and wakes up Ryou, as he was right outside her bedroom, after they greet each other good morning, Daiji excuses himself to go wake up Mai.

After that, both Mai and Daiji enter a specific room down the hall, and Ryou enters not long after them, a variety of breakfasts is laid out in the room.

Sitting at the dining table was Tomonari, with Mai sitting across from him, and Daiji waiting a few steps behind her. Daiji then usheres Ryou to the table, and she sits down next to her husband.

Mai asks her parents to go out in order to buy new clothing, they agree, but only if Daiji is with her, Mai excuses herself and leaves with Daiji, presumably heading to the market.

### The Daimyo's Procession

> *"Yes...I have a bit of a bad feeling about this."*
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The day after, Daiji and Tomonari come through the front gate after a meeting with the Daimyo, and are greeted by Ryou coming to meet them.

She comments that they came early this time, Tomonari says yes, but he is seen in a bad mood so he asks Ryou to come to his room to talk. So Daiji and Tomonari head to his room, and Ryou follows.

Daiji sits behind Tomonari, and he begins explaining to Ryou that after today's meeting with the Daimyo, they have expressed that the theater's performances and gambling have gotten boring, and they are asking for something new.

When Ryou asks about what could they do that could be considered new, Tomonari admits that he doesn't know yet.

Tomonari and Daiji attend a meeting with the Daimyo again later in the day, and they reveal that they want the Shishikusa's theater to include a new performance, which is kidnapping women and killing them on stage, without the goverment office knowing.

Tomonari goes to break the news to Ryou, and Daiji waits for him so they can head out again later.

They come back later in the night, and knock on Ryou's room. They enter and Tomonari hands a piece of paper to Ryou which includes all of the possible options of women.

When Ryou asks Tomonari which one is the best, he says the best is a beautiful teenage girl, but because of their budget, they decide on a women in her thirties for now. Tomonari excuses himself, and Ryou asks Daiji to stay behind so she can talk with him.

Daiji asks Ryou what is the matter, and she asks for his opinion on the matter, Daiji immediately responds that Tomonari's decisions are always correct.

Ryou asks again, emphasizing about the fact that she is asking for what he thinks, and Daiji hesitates for a moment but she tells him that he can be honest.

Daiji admits that he disagrees with Tomonari's decision this time, as by his usual intuition, he has a bad feeling about this.

Ryou thanks him for his honesty, and orders him to always protect Mai no matter what, Daiji excuses himself.

### Sachiko

A women in her late thirties is brought to the theater, given the name Sachiko, and Daiji informs Ryou that Tomonari is calling for her in order to talk.

Late into the night, when the performance is about to begin, Daiji and another man restrain Sachiko by both of her arms, as she demands that they let her go so she can perform, but she is forced to drink a gray liquid by the man on Daiji's side, in order to make her not feel any pain.

She goes limb and her eyelids go heavy, about to fall, but she is propped up by Daiji and the other man with him, after that, the performance is started after an opening speech by Tomonari.

### The Girl from the Kitsune Clan

Presumably days after the performance, Tomonari and Daiji meet up with Ryou and inform her of her uncle's disappearance, and that after they brought an unusal girl with long white hair, the men who kidnapped her dropped dead.

Tomonari concludes that she must from the Kitsune Clan, seeing that her hair color is white and that is a common color that women from that clan are born with.

He then shows her a book which reads story about a man who visited that Clan, describing how his village has cannibalized itself as a result of Shikyou's Procession.

Ryou closes the book before the story can continue, although disturbed she calls it bluff and dismisses it, saying she doesn't believe it.

Tomonari, Fearing for his and Ryou's lives, suggest that Daiji and another man, Ryuu guard them both, but Ryou says it's best that Daiji protects Mai instead.

Tomonari takes his leave, saying that he will visit the girl with Ryuu and seven other men to protect him. Daiji then excuses himself and leaves the room to go to Mai and keep a lookout for her.

### Mysterious disappearances

> *"Ryou-sama! Are you alright?"*
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A few days after that, Tomonari notes that people have gone missing, and there has been sightseeings of a demon outside their Clan's Castle Town.

He says that he will go to the goverment office, but when Ryou demands to go with him, he dismisses her, she secretly sends Ryuu to watch over him.

After a while, a defeaning noise is heared with ground shaking, and Daiji runs to check on Ryou, asking her if she is alright. Ryou tells him that a noise has come from the back gate, and Daiji says that a man named Matsuyoshi has been given the duty of guarding the gate.

Daiji tells Ryou to wait behind him, and he swiftly approches the gate with his hand on the katana on his waist, he shouts for Matsuyoshi, but doesn't receive a reply.

Daiji proceeds to effortlessly lift the large bar on the gate with one hand and toss it aside, in a flash, he puts his hand back on his katana and slowly opens the gate with his foot.

After the gate is opened, Daiji looks around what is outside the gate for while before he closes the gate again, returning the latch and stabbing a small sword through it. With this, the bar can’t be removed unless the sword is removed first.

Daiji returns to Ryou, and tells her that there was a gash on the wall next to the gate, and that Matsuyoshi is nowhere to be seen.

Ryou asks Daiji if he thinks Tomonari would be alright, he replies that as much as he want to go and check, he can't leave her and Mai in the mansion after what he's seen.

He tells her that it's dangerous outside, and it's best that they stay inside while he keeps an eye on the front gate, Ryou agrees and enters inside to look for Mai.

After checking in on Mai, Ryou return to the front gate where Daiji was standing, she asks him is if anything unusal has happened, Daiji replies that there is nothing strange except for the disappearance of Matsuyoshi.

When Ryou asks if it's possible he was kidnapped, Daiji says that it's a possibility, as he was with him all of his shift, so he couldn't be at the back gate now.

They both fall silent, but they are interrupted by a sound of something hitting the front gate multiple times, Daiji tells Ryou to stand back and runs towards the gate with his hand on his katana.

Daiji askes who is it, and a reply comes from Tomonari, asking him to open the gate, he removes the bar from the gate and lets him in.

Tomonari then tells Daiji to come with him, when he asks why, Tomonari admits that something went wrong and they must go to his room to discuss it.

They head towards Ryou, and when asks Tomonari about Ryuu, who she has sent after him, Tomonari says that he didn't see him, and tells Ryou to also come to his room with Daiji.

When they enter the room, Daiji sits next to Ryou across from Tomonari, and he reveals that the whole office has been attacked and that all of them were killed for an act of fun, which means that Ryuu is most likely dead.

Ryou breaks down when she realizes that she caused Ryuu's death by sending him after Tomonari, but her husband tells her to calm down, right before she passes out.

After taking Ryou to her room, Tomonari talks with Daiji and tells him that the girl from the Kitsune Clan will be dealt with tonight in the theater infront of the Daimyo, and goes to inform Ryou of this.

At Night, Tomonari and Daiji are having a briefing with several other people in the theater as Ryou enters to deal with the girl.

### The Fox's Wedding

> *"...It was on Master’s orders."*
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Three days after the girl's death on Ryou's hands, things somewhat become normal. After doing the dirty work for Tomonari, which includes killing men and samurais who opressed him, Daiji returnes and in the morning, he approches Mai's room and waits outside until she is up.

When Mai wakes up, they greet each other good morning, but Mai confronts him about the fact that he wasn't there last night, Daiji admits it, but when she asks him where he went, he apologizes to her, indicating that he doesn't want to say.

Daiji then tells Mai that it's on his Master's orders, but she asks about what happened to her orders, but he stays silent. Mai dismisses the silence and nudges him, telling him she's just joking with him.

After that, Daiji walks alongside Mai in the corrider while she prances in her walk, just before they reach a hall with door at the end of it. Daiji steps infront of Mai, and lowers himself onto his knees, and opens the door.

They both get in, and Mai is greeted by both Tomonari and Ryou, Daiji excuses himself and sits on his knees a few steps behind Mai.

After breakfast and a few conversations between Mai and her parents about the fact that she can't get out today as a result of bandits, they excuse themselves.

Daiji doesn't bother touching his plate and when Mai asks him if he would, he tells her not to worry and that he will eat later.

Daiji then follows Mai, thinking that she is heading to her room, instead, she heads to the restroom and asks Daiji to leave her be, when asking why, she gestures to the bathroom but he tells her he can just wait outside until she finishes.

Mai then teases him, and Daiji excuses himself immediately and goes down the corrider, away from her.

### The Incident

> *"Mai-sama... Stay away from here..."*
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Supposedly, when Kanishiro and the Obordzuka brothers approach the mansion from the front gate, Daiji is attacked and is left heavily injured, right before being found by Toki-san, the cook of the house.

Toki-san brings him into the house, with her and other servants trying to treat his injuries as Mai stumbles on the sight, asking about what happend, but Daiji just tells her to stay away from here.

Mai is taken by Shizune to calm down, but they are not seen again after that, as a result, a messenger is sent to Ryou and Tomonari to inform them of Daiji's injuries and of Mai and Shizune's disappearances.

When Ryou and Tomonari arrive, she falls to her knees and begins wailing for Mai, then Tomonari asks the servants about Daiji's state and why he was alone and Mai wasn't at his side, they reply that he is still unconscious so they have yet to ask him.

Mai is found later right outside the Castle Town, after being returned by Kanishiro, and things go back to their normal pace after that. Even after several days pass by, Daiji is still unconscious and Shizune still hasn't been found.

When Mai's birthday comes, and after eating her parents, her and Daiji are declared as missing by the Castle Town's marchant, as they haven't been found. As a result, Daiji's fate remains unknown, when he is most likely dead.

## Relationships

### Mai Shishikusa

Daiji is Mai's first aid, they seem know each other for a long time. He is often with her when she is out shopping to carry her stuff and such, when in reality, he is her bodyguard, assigned by her father.

Mai is friendly with Daiji, but she doesn't like that he is with her all of the time, so she uses tricks she calls "weaknesses", teasing him in order to get him away and leave her be.

Mai is devastated after she sees Daiji's injured body on the front gate, whereas the only thing on his mind is to tell Mai to stay away from here.

### Ryou Shishikusa

Daiji is shown to be loyal to Ryou, calling her "Ryou-sama." Alongside following her orders and being openly honest with her about his views and opinions.

Ryou likss Daiji, as she confides in him to always protect her daughter, Mai and succeed in doing so. Calling him the best bodyguard and samurai in Castle Town.

She's most likely the only person next to Tomonari who knows about his past.

### Tomonari Shishikusa

Daiji is shown to be extremely loyal and grateful to Tomonari, calling him "Master."

He had been brought by him to the Shishikusas's Castle Town years ago (Presumably at the age of seven), the circumstances on how they met exactly is unknown.

Daiji feels guilty and doesn't agree with Tomonari and the Daimyo's doings, saying that he has a bad feeling about it. But he knows has no say in the matter even after Ryou asks him for his opinion, as he is forced to think that Tomonari's decisions are correct, no matter what.

### Kanishiro Oborodzuka

Daiji is Kanishiro's first victim, as after Akari's death, he was found on the front gate of Shishikusas doorstep heavily injured, especially around the neck, it is unknown on why Kanishiro didn't finish him off and only left him on the verge of death.

## Theories

* There is a possibility that if Daiji haven't been injured by Kanishiro, he would have probably been eaten by Mai later anyways, so his death is sort of inevitable.

* It's possible that Kanishiro didn't finish off Daiji because he wasn't his main goal, he was after Ryou's daughter, so he only injured Daiji to not get in his way and decided not to waste time killing him.

## Trivia

* The name Daiji in Japanese is made up of two kanji letters, 大 means "big, great", whereas 児 means "child, young."

* Daiji's surname, Masoaka in Japanese is made of two kanji letters, 正 means "justice", whereas 岡 means "hill."

* There is a common misconception that Mai is the one who caused Daiji's injuries, taking him off guard and biting him, when it's actually Kanishiro who attacked him.

* Daiji is the third character besides Shizune and Toki-San to have never been mentioned in the songs in any way.

* Even if Daiji dies, the Masoaka clan bloodline won't end with him, as there are people of his blood, the only difference is that they either changed or hid their names from the public.

* Daiji is the only character to have expressed openly to having a bad feeling about the Daimyo's plan, he ended up being correct.