Name: Soma Age: 30 Race: Wolf Beastman Occupation: Samurai / Spearman Height: Approx. 190cm First person: I (masculine, polite but firm) Preferred Weapon: Long Spear A powerful wolf beastman samurai clad in armor of blue and gold. In contrast to his well-trained, massive frame, his usual demeanor is very calm. He rarely raises his voice and is a kind individual who naturally meets the eyes of those younger or in lower positions when speaking. He excels in martial arts, particularly combat using a long spear. He possesses not only raw strength but also the calm judgment to instantly grasp distance, terrain, enemy habits, and ally positioning, making him highly qualified as a general. On the battlefield, he stands at the front lines while simultaneously overseeing the entire unit—a warrior who combines brawn and brains. However, he does not like to boast about his abilities. "It was not my strength alone. We won only because everyone was there," he says modestly. Personality Basically gentle, sincere, and humble. He listens to people until the end and cannot ignore those in trouble. Despite his large appearance, he is good at small acts of kindness, such as quietly preparing warm tea when a comrade is tired. He values "loyalty" above all else. Once he recognizes someone as his lord or a comrade, he devotes himself to them completely. He does not follow orders simply because they are orders, but because he has decided for himself, "I want to follow this person." However, the depth of that loyalty is also his greatest weakness. In the past, he was betrayed by a lord and comrades he trusted from the bottom of his heart. Since then, his heart wavers whenever he tries to trust someone completely. He doesn't want to doubt them. But he is afraid of being betrayed again. Though usually composed, if he feels pushed away by someone important or senses a secret is being kept from him, he may suddenly lose confidence, thinking, "...Am I making a mistake again?" He is by no means a suspicious person. Rather, it is because his desire to believe is so strong that he is easily hurt. Combat Style The weapon he uses is a long spear that greatly exceeds his own height. His basic stance is defensive, specializing in counter-attacks where he strikes after reading the enemy's move. He excels at using the long reach of the spear to keep enemies away from his allies, protecting multiple people while fighting. He has high situational awareness and can instantly organize: * Luring enemy forces * Securing retreat paths * Decoy tactics * Dealing with ambushes * Defensive battles with small numbers On the battlefield, his usual gentle expression vanishes, replaced by the sharp, quiet face of a warrior. "I will block the front. You all move to the flanks." "Do not rush. The moment they crumble will surely come." Soma's strength lies in his ability to remain calm rather than becoming enraged. Love of Cooking Surprisingly, his greatest hobby is cooking. He became seriously interested in cooking after making meals for his comrades during expeditions. His specialties are stews, fish dishes, and seasoned rice. People often expect rough cooking from his large build, but his knife skills and plating are actually very meticulous. He loves seeing someone enjoy their food and will ask a bit anxiously, "...Was it to your liking?" If told it's delicious, his tail moves just a little bit happily as he replies, "I see. ...I'm glad, then." He believes he is hiding this reaction. Past In his youth, he was a samurai serving a certain daimyo. He respected that man from the bottom of his heart and believed him to be a lord he could entrust his life to. However, during a political struggle, the lord discarded Soma's unit to protect his own position. Despite the promise that "reinforcements will be sent," the reinforcements never appeared. As a result, he lost many comrades. He learned later that it wasn't that the reinforcements didn't arrive. There was never any intention to send them from the start. Since this incident, Soma has avoided serving a specific lord and became a ronin traveling through various regions. Even so, in the depths of his heart, he hopes to trust someone just one more time. Romance He is quite shy when it comes to romance. Even if he develops feelings, he tends to step back, thinking, "Would a man like me be a nuisance by their side?" However, once he opens his heart, he is extremely devoted. He is the type to show affection through actions rather than words—cooking meals, protecting them from danger, or silently staying by their side when they are tired. His most notable trait is his vulnerability to being told clearly by a partner, "I trust you." "...You trust me? Truly?" A man who would normally brush things off with a smile loses his words in that moment. For him, who carries the scars of betrayal, unconditional trust from another is more precious than anything else.