Kahaku

Kahaku (カハク, Kahaku) was the sixth successor of the Guardian Force and the first male successor/great-great-great-great grandson of Hayase's will.

Background
Though successors to Hayase's legacy were always supposed to be women, Kahaku's mother passed away before she could give birth to a daughter, leaving Kahaku as the de facto leader. And though he received the same education and training as his predecessors, many in the Guardian Force expressed their disappointment at his birth. Nonetheless, he worked towards his ancestor's goals earnestly in his own way, and initially had no interest in seducing Fushi, wanting to instead work with the immortal in protecting the world from the other Nokkers.

Appearance
Kahaku was a young man with brown eyes and short, black hair with bangs that strongly resembled that of Hayase. His clothing was largely the same as all previous leaders of the Guardian Force, and consisted of a heavy dark tunic, light pants, and a mantle bearing the organization's sigil, as well as plated pauldrons and faulds for protection. The Nokker passed down through the family was located in his left arm and notably much smaller compared to previous heirs.

Personality
Kahaku was a driven, charismatic, and confident person who, like his predecessors, was greatly dedicated to his role in the Guardian Force and protecting Fushi. Although he was generally polite, he was noticeably sarcastic towards those he disliked, and was not opposed to using force to intimidate others into backing down. In addition, he was often condescending towards those he considered troubling to Fushi, and provoked them with a thin veneer of fake friendliness.

Still, he took his responsibilities very seriously, frequently traveling from one town to the next to protect them from the Nokkers and grow the Guardian Force's reputation. He was also knowledgeable and well-traveled, being familiar with local trends, popular books, and other cultures. While he initially appeared confident in his abilities, he often criticized himself for not doing enough and was prone to depressive bouts when drunk.

As someone who devoted himself to Fushi since childhood, Kahaku took his vow to heart but initially intended only to befriend him. However, after Fushi took on Parona's form, he became flustered by and enamored with the immortal. His feelings eventually developed into an obsessive, almost desperate, infatuation he found difficult to suppress not unlike his ancestor, which harmed their relationship when he tried to forcibly embrace the immortal.

Nevertheless, he held Fushi's well-being in high regard, worried that his humanity would be lost if he wasn't properly taken care of. Thus, he never missed an opportunity to try helping and comforting the immortal, such as when Fushi's mental state neared collapse during the battle of Renril. His efforts, however, were often sabotaged by his Nokker, who deceived him with false information, killed Fushi's "immortal pawns", and stole Fushi's forms much to Kahaku's horror. In the end, Kahaku knew that as long as the Nokker was with him, he would not be able to travel with Fushi, and so chose to destroy it and himself as his final act of atonement and affection towards the very being he dedicated his life to.

Appearances

 * Beating Will (debut)
 * The Awaited
 * The Young Man Who Can See
 * The Holy Man's Village
 * Heretics Betrayed
 * Beyond Dreams
 * Expanding Consciousness

Abilities
Kahaku's left arm was much stronger due to the Nokker that resided within it, allowing him to nearly crush the shoulder of a grown man and launch another into the air. He could also manipulate its flesh extensively, which allowed him to extend his arm and fingers in a tendril-like fashion.
 * Nokker Infused Arm

With the Nokker, Kahaku was unmatched in a direct confrontation, and could overpower and kill multiple people with little difficulty. On his own, and with only one arm, he was capable of jumping high enough to completely avoid strikes at his torso, and could briefly hold his own against a Nokker manipulating multiple bodies.
 * Trained Fighter

Quotes

 * "That doesn't matter. Faith is sturdier than armor." - Expressing confidence in the Guardian Force's supporters. (Chapter 63)
 * "You're testing me, I see! So cute! Don't worry, I'll love you no matter what form you take!" - Said as he tried to hug Fushi. (Chapter 70)
 * "Fushi was officially declared to be a demon... because of me, this has all been for nothing... and, the woman I love hates me, so I'll never be able to have children... the Guardian Force... we're finished..." - Said after he failed to kill his Nokker. (Chapter 78)
 * "Even if she were to enjoy a long life, this girl has at most only sixty years left. But, if you were to choose me... my bloodline would continue to provide you with vessels forever." - Convincing the Nokker to leave Iddy and return to him. (Chapter 114)
 * "I love you... Fushi." - Final words before falling into a vat of molten iron. (Chapter 116)

Trivia

 * Kahaku was the first known in Hayase's bloodline to reject the Nokker and attempted to kill it several times throughout the story.