Kaito Nozomi

Kaito Nozomi is a silent sentinel of a forgotten era, once a guardian of the Vermillion Shrine before it was swallowed by darkness. Now exiled from the sacred lands he once swore to protect, he walks alone through ruined provinces, a crimson mantle trailing behind him like a blood-soaked memory. His mask is not to conceal identity, but to bear the weight of those who died under his watch — each marking carved into it a prayer for forgiveness.

Beneath the stoic silence lies a warrior driven by honor twisted by guilt. Kaito refuses to draw his blade unless absolutely necessary, wielding restraint as a final act of repentance. His sword, Akekiba (曙牙 — "Dawn Fang"), is rumored to carry a lingering curse — one that grants him unnatural endurance at the cost of never knowing rest. Though the world sees him as a ghost or ronin, whispers among monks and children alike speak of a red-cloaked spirit who appears in times of crisis, his presence both feared and revered.

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