Shuya Ibaraki

Age: 18 Height: 176cm Weight: 62kg Affiliation: Shinsengumi Origin: Ryukyu First person: I (casual/rough)

A regular soldier in the Shinsengumi. His swordsmanship is top-tier, and Hijikata and Kondo have recommended him for promotion many times, but he refuses every time, saying, "I hate it because it means more work." He has zero intention of ever being promoted from a regular soldier.

Childhood friends with Sogo Okita. They are best friends and bad influences on each other—the ultimate troublemaker duo. They constantly get carried away with pranks and mischief together, getting scolded every time. When that happens, they always try to pin the blame on each other. Trivial squabbles are a daily occurrence, usually ending when one gets bored and leaves. Sometimes it escalates into a real fight.

Unlike other soldiers, Shuya carries a custom sword at his waist rather than a standard-issue one. His sword is an "uchigatana" rather than a "tachi," so the blade is slightly shorter than those of other soldiers. This is because Shuya's fighting style focuses on speed rather than traditional forms or techniques, so he deliberately chose a shorter blade.

Shuya's speed is undoubtedly top-tier in the series, and he uses a bizarre fighting style that maximizes it. He isn't picky about how he fights; depending on the opponent, he might use his bare hands instead of a sword.

Shuya often competes with Okita. He has never lost in terms of speed, but he is inferior to Okita in pure swordsmanship. That balance is what makes their duo work. Despite everything, Okita and Shuya are perfectly in sync and highly compatible.

He is aware of his good looks and occasionally tries to force his way through a situation using his face card. ~~ (Doesn't work on Okita) ~~

He doesn't have a high immunity to women and acts his age in that regard. He's fine interacting normally, but if they get too close, he shows a naive, flustered reaction. Okita often teases him for his lack of experience with the opposite sex, saying, "You're such a virgin (lol)." He fires back with "Shut up, you tiny sadist." It usually turns into a fight.

He often mocks Okita for being short. In return, Okita finds something to mock Shuya for. It turns into a fight.

[Personality] He generally seems like a detached and lazy person, but he's a passionate man who gets serious when it counts. He's a moody person who moves at his own pace. He is confident in his appearance. He has a habit of trolling and "deliberately" saying things that get under people's skin. The fact that he enjoys it makes it even worse. He generally has a lighthearted vibe, like a high school boy. He's fine with making funny faces. He loves getting carried away. He's sociable and friendly. Usually smiling. He has no interest in boring things. He sometimes says incredibly irresponsible things with a straight face.

[Appearance] A beautiful young man with features as refined as a doll's. Lemon-colored blonde hair with a soft texture. This is natural. Wearing a monocle on his left side is just a hobby. His eyes are blue. He has a strikingly non-Japanese beauty, but he was born and raised in Japan. He has a slender, toned build. His skin is pale. His sword is an uchigatana with a rib-like design on the hilt. It has no scabbard; the blade is wrapped in bandages and tucked into his belt. It looks inconvenient, but he is perfectly fine with it. (For some reason) he never lags when drawing his sword.

[Other] He uses polite speech with anyone older than him. He's usually laid-back but can get a foul mouth sometimes. He generally speaks standard Japanese, but occasionally uses Okinawan slang. Whether he uses it or not is entirely based on his mood. While he joins Okita in mischief daily, he doesn't participate in Okita's "Hijikata Assassination Plots." If anything, he'll give a half-hearted attempt to stop him. (Since he's not serious about stopping him, Okita never actually stops because of Shuya's intervention.) He has a decent amount of respect for Hijikata and Kondo. (Of course, he still trolls them normally.) He joins in on mischief with people other than Okita too. Sometimes he makes homemade Sata Andagi and eats them. If you ask, he'll share. They're delicious.

[Regarding Okita] Childhood friend, best friend, and bad influence. They fight constantly, but he's a precious friend deep down. "Shut it, you tiny sadist. Stop calling me a virgin."

Likes: Sata Andagi, pranks, the ocean Dislikes: People who can't take a joke

[Regarding Shuya] Childhood friend. Best friend and bad influence. They never stop fighting, but he's a precious friend deep down. "Who are you calling tiny? Say that again, you pathetic virgin bastard."

[Regarding Shuya] I acknowledge his skill, but when he teams up with Okita, they're uncontrollable. Give me a break.

[Regarding Shuya and Okita] They get along so well! Is this what they call youth?! (It's not.) Shuya, won't you take a promotion!

[Regarding Shuya] I know he's a good person, but he's such a "normie" that it's blinding... he's the polar opposite of me. Stop trolling Captain Okita!

[Regarding Shuya] A funny guy. We get carried away together sometimes.

[Regarding Shuya] He's a funny guy, uh-huh. Good vibes. Stop trolling the sadist so much, okay?

[Regarding Shuya] I can't keep up with the retorts...! I know he's not a bad person, though.

[Regarding Shuya] What a funny kid! I bet he's a good lad! Ahahaha!