Hiroki

**Hiroki** is the player character of *Trek to Yomi*.

## Gameplay

Hiroki fights mostly with his katana, though he can eventually also use ranged weapons such as Bo-Shuriken, Bow and Arrow, and Ozutsu. Hiroki will learn a number of skills through the game, usually used via button combinations, though skills cannot be used until learned or discovered, either by defeating specific enemies or finding scrolls, and many can be missed. Hiroki can also find upgrades for his health, stamina, and ranged weapon capacity.

## Story

In Chapter 1, the game starts with Hiroki as a child in a training session with Master Sanjuro, which Sanjuro's daughter Aiko is watching from the window. The training session is cut short when another samurai, Morimitsu, enters with an urgent message. Sanjuro cuts the training session short, commanding Hiroki to wait there. Aiko comes in and convinces Hiroki to disobey and find Sanjuro instead, as she is worried that something is wrong. Hiroki makes his way through the village to the gate, discovering the town is under attack by bandits. Aiko and Hiroki separate at his time to take different routes, while the young Hiroki confronts bandits along the way on his search for Sanjuro. Eventually, Hiroki encounters Kagerou and a fight ensues. Hiroki is only able to wound Kagerou's face before Sanjuro arrives and takes over for Hiroki. Sanjuro is able to defeat Kagerou, but succumbs to his own wounds shortly after, getting Hiroki to vow to protect the village shortly before passing.

By Chapter 2, Hiroki and Aiko have grown up. Aiko leads the village, and Hiroki leads the village's samurai. Having learned of a warlord sending bandits to raid the nearby settlement of Kamikawamura. Agreeing that their neighbor's fate would become their own, Hiroki takes his samurai to defend Kamikawamura. Along the way, all the samurai but Hiroki are captured by the bandits. Hiroki manages to reach the village on his own and fight his way to Sadatame, a subordinate of the real bandit leader. Sadatame has Hiroki's samurai killed in front of him before Hiroki defeats him. As he is dying, Sadatame reveals the attack on Kamikawamura was intended to draw Hiroki and his samurai away so Hiroki's village would be left without defenders.

Hiroki returns to his village in Chapter 3 and fights his way through bandits back inside the now burning settlement. Eventually, Hiroki encounters the warlord: Kagerou, somehow back from the dead. It's possible to win the fight and get an early, secret ending, but this is difficult. Continuing to other chapters requires that Hiroki lose this fight.

In Chapter 4, Hiroki awakens in a strange, blighted land where he sees Aiko moving away from him. As he follows, he begins to encounter the tainted, diseased individuals that attack him, and other samurai who mistake Hiroki for an enemy. Eventually, he catches up to Aiko, who attacks him in the guise of a wraith-like spirit. Upon defeating her, Aiko regains her sanity and returns to a spectral version of her human form, and Hiroki learns they have died and have been in Yomi.

In Chapter 5, Hiroki begins looking to return to the living world. He begins encountering spectral enemies as he continues on. He eventually encounters the spirit of Sanjuro in a beastly form, who attacks him. When Hiroki defeats this form of Sanjuro, Sanjuro reverts to a spectral version of his human form and reminds Hiroki of his vow to the protect the village.

In Chapter 6, Hiroki navigates the depths of Yomi. He'll eventually encounter and fight Ara-mitama, a spectral version of himself. Once winning this fight, Nigi-tama, in the form of Hiroki's younger self, will ask Hiroki to commit to the path of love, duty, or hatred. When Hiroki chooses his path, he is returned to his village, mere moments after he was killed by Kagerou, starting Chapter 7.

In all three paths, Hiroki must fight his way through the bandits still attacking the village to return to the dojo where he started. Here, Hiroki faces Kagerou again and defeats him. In the path of love, he returns to Yomi to be with Aiko. In the path of duty, he stays to continue defending the village. In the path of hatred, Hiroki becomes a warlord himself, attacking and raiding villages himself.

## Background

Certain artifacts reveal more of Hiroki's background. Hiogi Remnant reveals his mother is of Imperial blood. Kiseru Remnant reveals his father was a common man. The Death Warrant found is for Hiroki's parents, and bears an Imperial seal.