Daiki Higurashi

Daiki Higurashi (日暮 ダイキ) is one of the main protagonists of Kindred Hearts' Omega Fury arc. He is a member of the Knights of Tonitrus, an order of knights based in Afilia who once protected, served and worshipped its second deity, Draco Piscis. During the kingdom's destruction, Daiki teleported himself from his realm to the Espers' Homeworld. However, he felt very lonely since his parents, his sister and fellow knights are all killed in the war against the evil being, until he met a certain someone who he could serve with his blade and blood. Prior to the destruction of the kingdom, Daiki was known as Sir Daiki of Tonitrus, or by his previous full name Daiki Weilschmidt (ダイキ・ヴァイルシュミット). Years later after his marriage with Gabbie, he changed his name to Daiki Minato (湊 ダイキ).

His title is "The Ultramarine Dragoon" (群青の竜騎士 *Gunjou no Ryuukishi*)

## Appearance

Daiki is an 18-year old pureblood Afilian with a short and spiky black hair with light blue tips, navy eyes and a rather lean physique. Daiki wears a navy jacket with a *Spinosaurus* insignia on it resembling Zyudenryu Tobaspino, white trousers, black glasses and navy sneakers. Unlike most Afilians that fused with their Familiars after the destruction of their homeland, Daiki has none, thus retaining his humanoid appearance.

## Personality

Daiki is an adventurous person who loves to explore in search of swashbuckling adventures. He has a good sense of loyalty and justice, being that he's a Tonitrus Knight. He will do anything for his friends and beloved ones, even if he has to risk his life in order to save them. Daiki also has a fear of loss, and it is what drove his resolve to protect everyone he loves. He's also cheerful and loves to treat his friends well, especially his beloved Gabbie. He's also emphatic towards her and knows her feelings well. Not only that, Daiki is also exceptionally intelligent and well-versed in strategies and tactics. Sometimes, Daiki can be a bit laidback and at certain times, he can be a bit protective and ambitious as well.

## Backstory

Daiki was the heir to the prestigious Weilschmidt clan of Afilia, which included one of the Saga's members, Emiu Weilschmidt. He was a prodigy, excelling in both martial arts and strategy. He even managed to tame his own horse at the age of 8, proving himself to be a potential cavalry commandant for the royal cavalry unit, the White Leopard Riders. One day, Daiki was conscripted by Ken Enomoto, the leader of the Knights of Tonitrus to join them. He knew that his family were worshippers of Draco Piscis, one of Afilia's Two Divine Dragon Gods. Daiki agreed to him and started serving them as a lieutenant at a young age. He even sharpened his combat skills under Ken's tutelage, while his younger sister mingled on political affairs and magical studies within the Saga.

Daiki proven himself to be the Knights' greatest fighter. He single handedly slain an invading army from their rivalling kingdom, the Shadow Empire Faust. He was just armed with his Draco Saber, yet he managed to fight them off, slaying the army's soldiers and generals at ease. Amazed at his prestige, the Afilian king promoted Daiki to be the White Leopard Riders' Commandant General. He was rewarded with a rare steed, a white unicorn. He befriended it and travelled across the kingdom on it, helping the common people with the cavalry unit. Tales of Daiki's kindness and might spread through the kingdom, and he was very pleased. Until one day, the Revenant arose from its supposed seal. It engulfed Afilia in darkness, and monsters of unknown origin slaughtered the kingdom's populace. The members of the Saga fought to the very end, only to perish at the hands of these mysterious invaders.

Daiki found his relative Emiu dying in the ruins of the Meridian Palace. Her heirloom was her Magus Ring, a ring that allows its user to use magic and alchemy. She wished Daiki to use it to find a safe place for him using a special incantation that allows him to travel through dimensions. Not willing to die, Daiki used said spell to drift into the Multiversal Continuum. Emiu then dies after bidding farewell to her brother, succumbing to her wounds caused by Revenant's army. On that day, the Revenant was eventually destroyed by the two deities, but Afilia was already left in ruins. Upon his arrival in the Espers' Homeworld, Daiki's Magus Ring rusted and shattered, as it was damaged by a strong multiversal distortion caused by Dark Nightmare's explosion. Unable to go home and separated from his family and his trusted steed, Daiki roamed the forests of Hokkaido in search of a place for him to live. He was no longer the famed Commandant General of the White Leopard Cavalry he used to be, now he's just a wandering swordsman, in search of home. He lived all by himself, hunting and foraging for food for almost 2 years. Upon arriving at Polaris in 2015, Daiki single-handedly slain Killer King and saved Gabbie from the vicious Deviant. His sense of heroism flared once again, and the soul of Draco Piscis roared within him, signalling that his trusted deity didn't abandoned him, even if he's in a different world with no way to go back to Afilia. On that very day, he vowed to protect Gabbie with his blade and his blood, as he trusted Gabbie to be his companion and his girlfriend.

## Family and relatives

* Rupert Weilschmidt (biological father, died during Revenant's onslaught on Afilia)
* Lilliane Weilschmidt (biological mother, died during Revenant's onslaught on Afilia)
* Emiu Weilschmidt (elder/younger sister and one of Afilia Saga's member, died during Revenant's onslaught on Afilia)
* Gabrielle Charity Minato (fiancée and wife)
* Aida Minato (daughter)
* Valerie Minato (son and Aida's younger brother)

## Abilities and Arsenal

* Swordsmanship, marksmanship and horsemanship: As a Tonitrus Knight, Daiki is proficient at swordfighting. He was trained by his father and his fellow Knights of Tonitrus during his youth, and he was a prodigy back then. He was also trained by them to use firearms and riding horses. Before the destruction of Afilia, Daiki was the commandant general of the kingdom's royal cavalry, the White Leopard Riders.
* Draco Saber: A cutlass/Gǔdìng Dāo-like sword that resembles the Suiseiken Nagare, Aba Laser Sword, Zhou Yu's weapon from Dynasty Warriors 2-5 and Ryusoul Ken with the head of Draco Piscis' head on its hilt, forged by the Knights of Tonitrus. He could use the 12 Enestals with the Saber to deliver elemental attacks and finishers at will, which works like Zyudenchis and RyuSouls (by inserting the Enestal into the hilt's slot). It could also turn into a gun called Draco Zapper, resembling the Aba Laser Gun. It could fire elemental shots depending on the Enestal inserted into its slot, and it could also turn into a flute called Draco Invoker to summon the Draco Chaser, resembling the Flute Buster and Zyusouken.
* Draco Chaser: A Draco Piscis-themed motorbike resembling the Diagospeedy and Deinochaser. It could travel at great speeds, allowing Daiki to hunt down his enemies and travel around with ease, as well as charging into his enemies by inserting the gold-colored Lightning Enestal into its slot. It was crafted by Daiki himself using a blueprint he found at the Turquoise HQ, mixed with Afilian alchemy/magic and his past of being a famed cavalry general.
* Enestals: Shard-shaped crystallized versions of the mass-produced energy drinks for Omega Factor-carrying Espers, created using ancient Afilian alchemy. Daiki considered them to be the drinks' purest form, being that they're produced using extract from the crystal meteorite that marked the beginning of the Espers by Turquoise Foundation. There are 12 different Enestals, and they can be used by both Daiki or the Omega Factor Espers. Unlike the drinks, the Enerstals could awaken their Sigils permanently. They are based on the Energems from Power Rangers: Dino Charge. The default is the navy/sapphire-colored Draco Enestal.
* Alchemy and magic: Daiki has a knowledge of alchemy and magic, and capable of forging crystals from liquids. This enables him to create the Enestals.

## Finishers

* Brave Dragon Slash: a devastating elemental slash powered by the Enestal inserted into the Draco Saber. It is able to cut through almost anything, and even inflict elemental damages (i.e burning, freezing, electrocution and more).
* Brave Dragon Lazer: a deadly beam fired by the Draco Zapper, powered by the Enestal inserted into its ammo slot. Same as Brave Dragon Slash, it is also able to deliver elemental damages.
* Sundering Lightning Slash: a destructive lightning-powered series of slashes powered by the Volans Enestal and the Lightning Enestal combined. It unleashes a huge spark of lightning that stuns the enemy and another one that cuts down the enemy in half, before blowing them up.

## Forms

* Marine Draco: Daiki's default form, inspired by Kyoryu Navy and Kamen Rider Cross-Z Dragon.
* Crimson Draco: Daiki's berserk form, caused by his feelings of rage and vengeance tainting the Draco Enestal. His jacket and hair turns red and his *Spinosaurus* insignia turns into a *Gorgosaurus* insignia. In this form, Daiki becomes slightly unhinged and won't hesitate to fight against hordes upon hordes of enemies, becoming a blood knight. Not only that, he also gains a deadly fire elemental power which enables him to burn down his enemies at will. Inspired by Kyoryu Red, AbaRed and Kamen Rider Cross-Z Magma. Like Hijack Raven, this form will never return again after its usage.
* Noblesse Draco: Daiki's final form, gained from the rose gold-colored Volans Enestal, which contains the soul of Draco Volans, the guardian of the skies and lands inserted into a special gadget called the Draco Bracelet. His jacket turns gold and his *Spinosaurus* insignia turns into a *Pteranodon* insignia. Not only that, he also gains a cape similar to those worn by Afilian mages and his hair becomes blonde with light blue tips. In this form, he's able to change attributes at will and unleash a deadly finisher: Sundering Lightning Slash using an upgraded form of Draco Saber called Volans Skyblade, resembling a Podao (Xiahou Dun's weapon from Dynasty Warriors series to be exact). Inspired by Kyoryu Gold, Kamen Rider Great Cross-Z and Noblesse Ryusoul Gold.
* Cobalt Phoenix: Daiki's special/advanced form, gained from the lavender colored Phoenix Enestal, which contains the soul of the legendary Cobalt Phoenix, a legendary beast resembling the *Microraptor* that once flew the skies of Afilia and feared for its violent tendencies and ability to whip up storms and create mirages. In this form, Daiki obtains the ability to fly at will and fight at high speeds, though this form is very fickle and a bit uncontrollable. His outfit becomes purple and his insignia completely disappears, though he gains a long wing-like cape, while his Draco Saber becomes a splay blade called the Phoenix Tail, which could assume a fan-like shape and can be thrown like a boomerang. Inspired by Zyuoh Condor.

## Etymology

* His name means "one who shines brightly", being the hero of Afilia back before its ruination and later on, the hero of Polaris Sanctuary.
* His last name means "sunset" or "evening cicada", apparently taken from Gabbie's adoptive mother and Turquoise secretary, Touka Higurashi. It is also derived from AFW-verse, from some of Tatyina's characters.

## Trivia

* Daiki is inspired by Dai-kun from Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Asuka from Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger, Canalo from Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger, Burai from Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger, Heckyl from Power Rangers: Dino Charge and Cosmic Fury, Sir Ivan of Zandar from Power Rangers: Dino Charge, Daiki Kaito from Kamen Rider Decade, Touma Kamiyama from Kamen Rider Saber, Ryuga Banjo from Kamen Rider Build, Yu Narukami from Persona 4, Rex Owen from Dinosaur King, Cheren from Pokémon Black and White and several Dynasty Warriors characters (namely Xu Shu, Cao Xiu and Sima Zhao). His blue-tipped black hair and bespectacled appearance resembles Urataros from Kamen Rider Den-O.
* Daiki's name is apparently derived from Daigo Kiryu from Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, taking the first kanji of his first and last name. His last name is a homage to the Higurashi family in the AFW-verse, and his appearance resembles Mamoru Higurashi. He chose it as his last name to honor Touka Higurashi, who used to be Gabbie's mentor prior to her disappearance.
* The White Leopard Riders is inspired by Cao Chun's famous Tiger Leopard Riders, Cao Wei's cavalry unit. Like Cao Chun, Daiki was also the commandant general of the White Leopard Riders. After what happened to his kingdom, Daiki became a vagabond/ronin.
* Daiki's Japanese voice actor also voiced Vroon from Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger and Cao Xiu from Dynasty Warriors, while his English voice actor played Adam Park from the Power Rangers series and voiced Zhang Bao from Dynasty Warriors.
* Daiki is the sole non-Esper protagonist/main hero in Kindred Hearts: Esper Chronicles, being a pureblood Afilian. It is unknown whether he will appear in Afilia Friends too or not.
* The reason why he has a *Spinosaurus* insignia on his jacket is because of how similar it was to the Draco Piscis. Daiki also loves dinosaurs too, in addition. He also loves fishes and animals in general, as well as oceanography, being that the Knights of Tonitrus worshipped Afilia's guardian of the seas and waters.
* Despite being brave warriors, the Knights of Tonitrus detested the APLRF's extreme ideology and usage of excessive violence.
* Daiki's favorite activities are fishing, exploring, going to zoos and aquariums, reading books, writing tales of his adventures, watching anime and playing video games. Usually he always goes together with Gabbie, whom he cherished and feigned loyalty to.