Raizen

* Manga
* Colored

**Raizen the Orochi** (大蛇 (オロチ) のライゼン, *Orochi no Raizen*) was among the examinees competing in the Special Entrance Examination of the Dead Rock institution, which serves as a gateway to the Dead Rock itself.

## Appearance

Raizen is a young man of average height sporting long, dark blue hair that he usually slicks back. He keeps his bangs long and parted on his right side. He bears a substantial tattoo on his left arm, resembling a serpent's scales.

Before enrolling, he only dons protective armbands, leaving his upper body exposed except for a necklace. He wears plain pants held up by a belt with a skull buckle, with the left leg having an armor of sorts and dark bands around the thigh, the right leg has a cross over it, and dark shoes. After enrolling, he wears the institution's standard uniform, consisting of a jacket and pants with a checkered pattern. He keeps a sword strapped to his back.

When Mikoto resurrects him after he is killed he has much shorter hair, stitches all over his body, and a cooling talisman on his forehead.

## Plot

### Background

Raizen is one of the 1,000 examinees assembled in the 666th Layer for Dead Rock's Special Entrance Examination. As the exam commenced, everyone was dropped into the Antlion Pit, where they had one hour to escape and successfully pass the test. Additionally, they had to contend with a horde of enormous ants inhabiting the area. During the exam, Raizen manages to kill several ants. Sometime later, he finds the exit and passes the entrance exam.

Three months after the entrance exam, the entrance ceremony is held, welcoming the new students. After God's speech, Reisein is assigned his class, Class F, where the other six students who passed the special entrance exam are also placed. When Freyr complains about the uniforms, Raizen compliments her, saying that he think she looks great. After Freyr expresses doubt about Yakuto's ability to succeed and dismisses the exam as lacking the feel of a genuine test, Raizen is promptd to echo her sentiments. He then brings up Hien's situation, how the ice swordsman was hurt and had to help getting out. The two stare at each other for a moment before they both clash their swords. Though he whines that he got dirt on his "princess" and starts cleaning his sword.

Everyone is then told to quiet down as Professor Maxwell arives, informing everyone that he will be their homeroom teacher. Raizen watches as Yakuto steps forward to ask questions about the human realm and if humans are treated well. He is shocked when Yakuto suddenly crushes the professor's head. He yells at him for this, before retorting Freyr's claim that he is cool for this act. After this Raizen listens as Yakuto reveals that he enrolled with one major goal, needing the help of everyone in class and that once they know the "truth" they would agree. When he announces that he wants to kill God, Raizen is utterly shocked.

After witnessing this, Raizen asks who kills their Homeroom Teacher on the first day, calling Yakuto crazy. He listens as Yakuto explains that he believes that God is an imposter, that there might have been a previous ruler, and that he wishes to return the Demon Realm back to its true state. Still angry, he tells him not to involve the class and walks out of the class. Before he leaves, he tells Yakuto that he will not snitch, but before God even gets the chance to kill him, he will be the one to cut him up in pieces.

In the cafeteria, Raizen eats lunch while complaining about Yakuto as every student dreams of becoming a Demon King, not wanting him to get in his way. He is then approached by two students who mock him for entering the school through the special exam. Raizen tells them to go away, but the shark student notes about the school rules, article 3: "kill anyone you don't like". Raizen mentions that specific rule is dead on arrival. Just as the shark student is about to kill him, Raizen slices his and the octopus student's head off. Though he then cleans his sword, having gotten it dirty again.

The head chef, Ogre, stands before him and gathers the dead students. He asks what he is going to do with them, which Ogre replies that he is going to eat them, much to Raizen's disgust. He asks if uses dead students in for cooking, which the chef answers only once in a while. He asks about today's ingredients, which Ogre just responds that he is going to them. This makes him recall his princess being cursed by a man, which can only be broken by a Demon King's power. Raizen tells himself that he needs to become a Demon King, before he asks Ogre if the rules apply to teachers as well, which the chef answers that if he can. Raizen charges but is cut into pieces, much to his and everyone's shock.

His pieces are later collected by Yakuto who has Mikoto resurrect Raizen. In the Bone Rampage dorm, he wakes up in bed thinking he died, which Mikoto confirms and is now her puppet. He is shocked to having become a zombie, and surprised that Yakuto was the one who got his pieces. He tries to say his thanks, only for Yakuto to remind all of them that he plans to get all of them involved and does not plan on letting them escape, shocking him once more. He banters with him, telling he thought was an okay guy until he said that. He listens as Yakuto explains that they now have an obedient teacher, making it convenient for them.

## Abilities

* **Eight Sword Method** (ヤマタノ剣術, *Yamata no Kenjutsu*, lit. "Eight-Branched Swordplay")

## Equipment

**Cooling Talisman** (冷却札 *Reikyaku Fuda*): After becoming a zombie, Raizen is given this talisman so that his body does not rot away.

## Trivia

* Raizen's origins as the Orochi, which is the Japanese word for Serpent, can be traced back to the legendary creature called *Yamata no Orochi*. This mythical serpent had eight heads and was ultimately defeated by Susanoo-no-Mikoto.

## References

*Dead Rock* Manga: Chapter 1 (Page 38).
*Dead Rock* Manga: Chapter 1 (Page 38).
*Dead Rock* Manga: Chapter 1 (Page 65).
*Dead Rock* Manga: Chapter 1 (Pages 1-5).
*Dead Rock* Manga: Chapter 1 (Pages 21-24).
*Dead Rock* Manga: Chapter 1 (Page 38).
*Dead Rock* Manga: Chapter 1 (Page 60).
*Dead Rock* Manga: Chapter 1 (Pages 61-70).
*Dead Rock* Manga: Chapter 1 (Pages 71-83).
*Dead Rock* Manga: Chapter 2 (Pages 3-8).
*Dead Rock* Manga: Chapter 2 (Pages 12-18).
*Dead Rock* Manga: Chapter 2 (Pages 19-29).
*Dead Rock* Manga: Chapter 2 (Pages 35-42).