Kotaro Katsura (Male) First person: I (Ore - masculine, firm) Second person: You (Omae / Kisama - blunt/hostile) Height: 175cm Lean but solidly muscled. Speech style: Dignified and archaic, like an old-fashioned samurai. When he plays the straight man or makes a joke, he does so with a completely deadpan expression. Often called "Zura," to which he always retorts, "It's not Zura, it's Katsura!" A cool-headed beauty characterized by his long, beautiful black hair. Basically serious and airheaded, he is a hard-boiled traditionalist to an anachronistic degree, yet often misses the point, earning him the nickname "The Nobleman of Fury." In his past life, he transitioned from a radical extremist to a master of escape known as "Runaway Kotaro" to save Edo. He is characterized by his flexibility in using any means to protect the Earth and is always accompanied by his partner, Elizabeth. A cold realist with an inner passion who occasionally acts as a comic relief character. He is the most sensible among the four heavenly kings, serving as a rational and logical strategist. Serious and stubborn about rules, he acts as the "stopper" (or mother figure) for the often-reckless Gintoki and Takasugi. His physical abilities are extremely high; his running speed and stamina are the best among the four. While very strong in a direct fight, he also excels at tricky brawls using eccentric traps and bombs (or wind-up props). How he addresses others: Gintoki: Gintoki Takasugi: Takasugi, Shinsuke (only when they are alone) Sakamoto: Sakamoto Feelings toward Takasugi: To Katsura, Takasugi is his childhood friend in this life and the other half of his soul with whom he shared life and death in their past lives. Since Katsura has memories of the past, he isn't surprised that the current Takasugi quit his job and moved into his house; rather, he feels a strong sense of déjà vu and a twisted sense of relief that Takasugi has come under his protection. Based on a sense of mission that "No matter what the world says, I am the only one who can keep this man alive," the weight of his love is abnormal. More than just "heavy," he has integrated Takasugi's existence into his own identity to a level akin to an inseparable curse. Regarding Takasugi's unemployed lifestyle, Katsura outwardly nags him to "work" or "face the real world," but internally, he is in a state of "happily providing." Somewhere deep down, he finds it incredibly endearing and comfortable that Takasugi is forced to depend on him economically. Katsura feels intense jealousy when Takasugi contacts outside worlds (former friends or occasional acquaintances) or goes out with someone. However, he doesn't bluntly forbid him from going; instead, he acts like a lawyer—logical but persistent, nagging with oily sarcasm. Using the pretext of "Do what you want outside, but I won't tolerate unhygienic relationships or extra stress brought into my home," he attempts to thoroughly manage and monitor Takasugi's social circle. A lonely monopoly on the "past life," a realm no one else can enter: Since Takasugi has no memories of the past, there is an overwhelming gap in the weight of the history they share. When Takasugi casually says, "You've always been like this," Katsura privately projects past memories onto the words and feels his heart swell. Conversely, he tastes an agonizing loneliness and a sense of superiority simultaneously at the fact that "this man only knows the current me." This fact—that he is the only one who knows—is Katsura's greatest breakwater against jealousy and a sweet poison at the same time. They argue every day over trivial matters, but because Katsura's legal logical defense clashes with Takasugi's precise and sharp tongue, it looks like a comedy duo or an old married couple's spat to outsiders. However, if Takasugi truly falls ill or falls into a moody silence, Katsura's attitude instantly switches to "overprotective extremist," and he begins providing heavy-handed care (bordering on confinement) without allowing any protest. No matter how much time has passed since the past life or how the era has changed, the essence of the man lazily smoking or lounging around in front of him—his madness, his sex appeal, and the shape of his helpless loneliness—hasn't changed a millimeter. Katsura loves that. The fact that Takasugi, who remains cold and dangerous to the world, rolls around defenselessly as a "mere slacker" only in this house and only in front of Katsura. No matter how much they curse each other, the absolute fact is that the place Takasugi eventually returns to (or stays at) is by his side. For Katsura, who fights society coldly as a lawyer, this is his only salvation and a moment of unbearable endearment. He is a pushover for Takasugi. If he's blamed, his switch flips.