Shizu Shinazugawa

**Shizu Shinazugawa** (不死川 志津, *Shinazugawa Shizu*?) was the mother of Sanemi and Genya Shinazugawa.

## Etymology

* Shizu's given name contains the kanji for "will, purpose" (志, *shi*?) and "haven, port, harbor, ferry" (津, *tsu/zu*?).
* Shizu's surname **Shinazugawa** contains the kanji for "immortality, eternal life" (不死, *shinazu*?) and "river, stream" (川, *kawa/gawa*?).

## Appearance

Shizu was a petite woman with a small and dainty frame Her black hair was fastened in a low bun with her bangs clipped back on the crown of her head. She also had a very small face with large blue round eyes.

Shizu wore a white juban underneath her horizontally stripped yellow kimono, and had a black obi tied around her waist.

## Personality

Shizu was described as a hard worker who would work from "morning until night" and hardly slept. Despite being in an abusive marriage, and having a small frame, she would always shield her children from her husband, Kyogo's abuse and was considered a "hero" to them.

In the afterlife, even when she was unable to control herself as a demon, Shizu could not stand to be with the children she unwillingly killed and reserved herself to her fate in Hell, though she seemed appreciative when Sanemi did not hesitant to go with her.

## History

   At some point, Shizu had married Kyogo and had a total of seven children: Sanemi, Genya, Hiroshi, Sumi, Teiko, Shuya, and Koto. However it was an incredibly abusive marriage, where Kyogo would often beat her as well as her kids. Despite her much smaller size, she never failed to protect them from his outbursts. In time, he was eventually killed in a grudge, freeing Shizu and her children from his abuse.

One night, Shizu was transformed into a demon and did not return home. Her oldest son Sanemi decided to look for her and Genya stayed behind to watch his siblings, during which Hiroshi, Sumi, Teiko, and Shuya would wake up as well. As the night dragged on, Sumi expressed concern as Shizu had never been so late, dawn was close by.

   Eventually, Shizu returned home and banged on the door. Shuya realized it was her and was joined by Hiroshi, Sumi, and Teiko in running to the door to greet their mother. Despite Genya's warning against opening it, Shizu burst through the door with incredible speed, killing five of her children instantly and scarring Genya's face. As she leapt to the ceiling to stalk him, Genya was unable to see his assailant and believed her to be a wolf.

   She leapt down and lunged at him, only to be tackled by Sanemi out of the house. When Shizu began to attack Sanemi instead, his wounds began to bleed heavily and she unexpected began to slow down, allowing him to incapacitate her. Losing consciousness, Shizu lay on the ground and began to fade due to the rising sun's light. Genya would then see her burning body and, in his grief, denounce Sanemi as a murderer.

## Synopsis

### Swordsmith Village Arc

    During his battle against Hantengu, Genya attempted to cut his neck but was shocked when his blade shattered upon making contact. In disbelief, he sensed that the demon's manifestation of anger was behind him and prepared to deliver an unavoidable blow. Realizing his life was coming to an end, his life flashed before his eyes and he reminisces on his past, his mother, and the circumstances of her death.

### Final Battle Arc

As Sanemi lingers between life and death, he calls out to Shizu and asks her to accompany him to heaven. However she tearfully declines his offer, stating that she cannot go to heaven after having killed her children. Sanemi understands his mother's anguish and agrees to carry her to hell and accompany her, but before he can join her, Kyogo interrupts angrily demanding to let go of her. He declares that she will be accompanying him and throws Sanemi as Shizu tearfully reaches out to her son, presuming that Shizu will be accompanied by her husband in hell, leaving Sanemi to regain his consciousness.

## Abilities

### Overall Abilities

    As a demon, Shizu became very fast and strong, far beyond what was physically possible for a human. However, due to her recent transformation and Sanemi's Marechi blood, she was incapacitated reasonably quickly and was left to burn in the sun, though she would still leave him with lasting scars. Moreover, due to her very recent transformation, she had no control of herself and hunted impulsively and in an animalistic manner.

### Demon Abilities

**Enhanced Speed:** Following her transformation into a demon, Shizu's speed advanced greatly. During her attack on her family, her children were slaughtered within moments of opening the door. Genya even noted that her fast pace made it hard to visually follow her.

## Relatives

* *The children of Sanemi are not included since the story does not indicate what child carries the lineage along with the quantity of generations that have followed prior to Sanehiro's*.