Karasu

BIOS
Bellum Bestiae:

Before she became known as the kunoichi, Karasu, Ayumi Hinato, the daughter of the Sengoku general, Shinzo Hinato, was once the lover of a rice farmer named Masaru Kurozawa. According to her father, relations with lower-class men are considered taboo, so he forced her into servitude as a kunoichi in his personal army and has tasked her with killing the peasant.

ARS SPECIALIS
Tsukisasu (Piercing): The prongs of her sai in her hands, Karasu thrusts them into her opponent's chest, stabbing them, then kicks them off. On Meter Burn, she will flip-kick them instead. (Match Win Finish Animation: Bleed Out)

Kunai: Karasu does a 270° backwards flip and throws a kunai at her opponent at a downwards angle, damaging them if it connects. Meter Burn adds another kunai. (Match Win Finish Animation: Bleed Out)

Shuriken: Karasu throws one shuriken per hand at her opponent and three with both hands, damaging them. Meter Burn adds two additional shuriken. (Match Win Finish Animation: Bleed Out)

Ashi no Wana (Foot Trap): Karasu throws some caltrops onto the ground, damaging the opponent if they approach too closely. Must be performed in midair. Meter Burn adds more caltrops. (Match Win Finish Animation: None)

ARS BESTIAE
Yokerudatori (Evading Birds): Karasu turns into her flock form and rapidly flies past her opponent, dodging attacks, then shape-shifts back into a human. (Match Win Finish Animation: None)

Izuna Drop: Karasu grabs her airborne opponent and turns them around, then, halfway through German-suplexing them, becomes her flock form and drives her opponent to the arena floor below hard with extreme velocity, spinning them at the same speed as she does so, before becoming her human form again. Must be performed in midair. (Match Win Finish Animation: None

PERCUTE ULTIMUM
Pre-Percute Ultimum pose: Holsters her sai in her sash to do the Rin-Pyo-To-Sha-Kai-Jin-Retsu-Zai-Zen gesture in rapid succession, then re-draws her weapons

Pre-Percute Ultimum strike: Smoke-ports into the air and dive-kicks her opponent

Karasu smoke-ports once behind her opponent, elbowing them in the back, twice to their left or right, grabbing their arm and chopping them in the elbow, and a third time in front of them, roundhouse-kicking them in the left or right side of the face, with a close-up X-ray shot of bones breaking to accompany each strike, then proceeds to stab them in the eyes with her dual sai, turning into her flock form halfway through removing the eyeballs from their sockets. Then, while Karasu flies around and encircles her now-eyeless foe, her loud cawing confusing them, some of the crows that make up her, including the one holding the eyeballs in its foot talons, start tearing the flesh off of them with their beaks and foot talons, rendering them a bloody muscular system with some exposed bones that then falls to the arena floor dead. Afterwards, Karasu changes back to human form, declares "Yakunitatanai (useless)...", and smoke-ports away, the foe's eyeballs still impaled on her sai.

MISC. INFO
Voice Actress: Susan Dalian (Naruto)

Destined Battle Rival: Masaru Kurozawa

Stage: Sengoku Rooftop - Night

Intro Sequence: A flock of carrion crows flies into the battlefield. The crows then merge into Karasu, who declares, "Beware... I outnumber you." as she readies her dual sai and goes into her fighting stance.

Round Win Sequence: Karasu holsters her sai into her sash and stoically folds her arms, saying, "Awarena (pathetic)...", before re-drawing her weapons and going back into her fighting stance.

Outro Sequence: Karasu walks over to her defeated, off-screen opponent and looks down on them with her arms stoically folded, saying, "You are not worth wasting my skills on. O wakare (farewell)!", before throwing a black egg at her own feet and smoke-porting away.

PROLOGUE: THE TALE OF THE KUNOICHI, KARASU
(We cut to a 16th-century tapestry of Karasu on a Japanese rooftop at night with the prongs of her sai in her hands, assuming a dynamic pose as she points them at the camera, then some text pops up in a manner reminiscent of the Story Modes of Soul Caliburs III and IV.)

Karasu was born Ayumi Hinato, the daughter of a ruthless Sengoku general named Shinzo Hinato. She was not always as embittered and apathetic as she is now. Three years ago, in 1498, she and the lower-class farmer, Masaru Kurozawa, loved in secret, much to the objection of her father, who very much disapproved of his daughter's relations with a man of inferior status to their family.

Unfortunately, were it not sufficient that Ayumi miscarried in the midst of the first trimester of her pregnancy with hers and Masaru's child, Shinzo punished her for her disobedience, both by forbidding her from ever seeing her lover again and by recruiting her into his personal kunoichi army. It was then that the crow spirit, Corvus, noticed her prowess as a kunoichi and chose her as his host. She now seeks to dispose of Masaru on the orders of her father.

MIRROR MATCH (QUEST MODE)
(Karasu is in her home stage when, out of nowhere, a fiery circle appears in front of her, and Damoclus emerges from it.)

Damoclus: I am impressed you have made it this far, warrior. However, before your destined battle begins, I have one more challenge for you... yourself! (creates another Karasu for the real one to fight)

Karasu: Who... are you? A kunoichi in a rival general's personal army? Or are you merely a spy sent by him?

(Both Karasus draw their dual sai and go into their fighting stances.)

Mirror!Karasu: I am neither. Now, leave my sight before your blood stains my sai!

DESTINED BATTLE - vs. Masaru Kurozawa
(Cut to an abandoned cathedral somewhere in Europe, where Karasu and Masaru stand a foot away from each other, looking at each other.)

Karasu: Masaru... Answer me. Why have you come?

Masaru: Ayumi, I cannot allow our love to devolve into hatred. Onegai (please), become the girl I loved again.

(Karasu and Masaru go into their fighting stances.)

Karasu: Never! My father wills it!

Masaru: (resignedly) What would it take to free you from his cruel manipulation?

SUB-BOSS BATTLE - vs. Torturex
(After the fight, a badly-beaten Masaru is down on one knee and one hand.)

Karasu: It is time for you to perish here and... (raises her dual sai to kill Masaru)

Masaru: (interrupting) Tomaru (halt)! I do not wish my blood to be spilled by your hand. Bygones will be bygones.

Karasu: (holstering her weapons with a resigned sigh) Gomen-nasai (I am sorry), Masaru-chan. There will be no more strife between us.

(A fiery portal materializes beneath Karasu's feet, slowly dragging her into it.)

Masaru: Ayumi! Return to me! I do not wish to lose you again!

(Six seconds later, we cut to Karasu in the Infernal Torture Chamber.)

Karasu: So, this is Jigoku... Where Masaru told me I would end up if I reformed not my ways...

Damoclus: He should have told you the difference between Hell as one place and Hell as many. You, human, are in the realm of demons, Infernus, my realm! In order for your final confrontation against me to commence, you must first get past... my chief torturer.

(Soon after, thunderous footsteps are heard, which are revealed to be those of an emerging Torturex.)

Torturex: Me welcome you to Infernus! Torture you in chains for Lord! Me want watch you suffer!

Karasu: Jigoku or not, 'tis impossible for one who only recently reformed her ways to be tortured, physically or mentally, for the wrongs in her life. (readies her sai)

FINAL BOSS BATTLE - vs. Damoclus
Damoclus: (sitting on his molten rock throne, infuriated that Karasu has defeated Torturex) What is this?! My chief torturer, defeated? (rises from his throne) Very well... I shall finish off that ninja woman myself!

Karasu: (walking into Damoclus' throne room with her dual sai holstered in her sash) Now that I am a changed woman, I must put a stop to the konton to kattou (chaos and conflict) that whoever brought me here is planning...

Damoclus: (approaching Karasu) Ayumi Hinato, the daughter of the Sengoku general, Shinzo Hinato, and a kunoichi in his personal army. I expected you to dress a little more provocatively, perhaps some breast cleavage as a form of distraction, just because of your occupation. Welcome to your final confrontation against me, Damoclus, the demon lord of the realm of Infernus!

Karasu: Well, tegowai un, akuma no kunshu (tough luck, demon lord). My style of dress is far more modest in comparison!

Damoclus: And did that farm boy lover of yours infect you with the pox at some point in your relationship?

Karasu: You have some nerve, stereotyping us kunoichi as nothing but over-sexual whores.

Damoclus: Still not convinced? Allow me to take you back... three years ago, in 1498.

FLASHBACK: 1498

(We cut to a bridge over a river outside of Shinzo's fortress, and Karasu is, in addition to being in the first trimester of pregnancy, depicted as she was before her recruitment in her father's kunoichi army: with her hair done in a ponytail, without her black eyeshadow, and wearing a bright pink kimono with white floral patterns. She and Masaru are seen holding hands.)

Damoclus: You and Masaru loved one another in secret, and at one point in your relationship, you, Ayumi, entered the first trimester of pregnancy, the worst disease men can give you of all.

Masaru: Saiai (beloved) Ayumi, do you promise we will love each other for all of eternity?

Pre-Karasu!Ayumi (voiced by Stephanie Sheh): Yes, always and forever. (starting to cramp up and noticing some blood on the front of her kimono) Iie (no)...

Damoclus: (narrating) Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, your unborn child passed away inside your womb before they could be born, much to your devastation.

Masaru: What? What is wrong, my love?

Pre-Karasu!Ayumi: Our baby... It is no more. (lamentfully and on the verge of tears) Oh, I will never be a mother! NEVER!

(A late-40s East Asian man with a dark grey beard enters with a stern expression on his face and a black and gold naginata with a silver blade strapped to his back. He wears a faded red-colored, short-sleeve longcoat, as well as some pieces of traditional Japanese armor of the same color with some gold, with a black undershirt.)

Shinzo (voiced by Patrick Seitz): Young lady, exactly what is the meaning of this?

Pre-Karasu!Ayumi: Father! You understand not... Masaru is not the enemy, nor does he appear the part. I promised him we'd...

Shinzo: (interrupting) Ayumi... (pointing at Masaru) that man is not one of us. He is a worthless peasant, a man of inferior status to our family! In addition to being never to see him, with whom you used MY house for your fornicating, again...

Pre-Karasu!Ayumi: (breaking down in tears) Iie... IIE!!! (No... NO!!!) Otousan (father), I love him!

Damoclus: (narrating) Your father so strongly disapproved of your relationship with that man, whom he deemed below the higher-class Hinato family, that he kept the both of you from ever being together again.

Shinzo: Watashi wa kinishinai (I do not care). You will also be under my employ in my personal kunoichi army, beginning today!

Pre-Karasu!Ayumi: (still crying) ...What kind of father are you?

Shinzo: One who demands the respect of his daughter, and nothing more! The sooner you understand, the better. (turning to threateningly face Masaru) And you, back away from my daughter and leave my sight forthwith!

(Fade back to Infernus.)

Damoclus: Now you know the story of how you became what you are now.

Karasu: Yes, and the pain of both miscarrying my unborn child and losing access to Masaru has plagued me ever since.

Damoclus: I have something much worse than both of those things in store for you. Chaos, destruction, and conflict throughout all the lands!

Karasu: All this needless drama in my life... (going into her fighting stance) and now I must finish you off for good!

Damoclus: You think you, a kunoichi, can defeat the demon lord of Infernus? Allow this battle to be your final one! Septemgladio! (his seven swords, Septemgladio, materialize, and he goes into his fighting stance as well)

AFTER WINNING AGAINST DAMOCLUS IN HIS PRIMARY FORM
Damoclus: (badly beaten and down on one knee and one hand) How dare you...?! (slowly gets back up, heavily breathing with his fiery purple glow becoming angry) Never again... will you see... the light of day!

(Damoclus then transforms into his dinosaur form, then lets out a vicious roar, forcing the player to fight him in only one round.)

ENDING
Damoclus: (defeated and reverting to his humanoid form) NO!! This is impossible! (having been beaten even worse, slowly gets back up again, but barely) Me, a demon lord... defeated by a mere kunoichi?

Masaru: (voice echoing in Karasu's mind) Please, become the girl I loved again... again... again...

Karasu: The error of my ways is the burden I must bear on my shoulders. Sayonara, towa ni (goodbye, permanently)! (stabs Damoclus in the chest with her dual sai)

Damoclus: I will make you pay dearly... (breathing heavily) for ruining my plans! (falls to the molten rock ground, dead and lying in a pool of his own purple blood)

(We are in Shinzo's fortress where Karasu has her back turned to the camera, her father's corpse lying in a pool of his own blood from her dual sai embedded in his chest.)

The pain of losing her unborn child by Masaru plagued Karasu; however, remembering the words that the peasant had spoken unto her in their battle earlier, she, now a changed woman, eventually managed to overcome it, prevail over the demon lord of Infernus, and execute her cruel father in cold blood for his manipulation of her.

(Fade to Karasu, without her hood or mask, and Masaru, who has on a white kimono top, in a traditional Japanese garden holding hands and smiling as they observe the beauty of it all together.)

With Damoclus no more and all the lands, Japan included, safe from his plans to plunge them into chaos, destruction, and misfortune, Karasu was eventually reunited with her love and forgot about all of the drama and pain in her life. Now Masaru and Karasu are closer than ever, and nothing and no one can ever keep them apart.

(Cut to pre-credits roll, where "The Devil and the Huntsman," from Guy Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, starts playing as we are treated to short animations of all the characters, shown in full-body, in their home stages, with the names of their voice actors/actresses and pieces of 16th-century tapestry depicting said characters as their animal forms on their left or right. Afterwards, the credits start rolling and the song continues playing.)

DID YOU KNOW?

 * Susan Dalian, who voices Karasu, was also the voice actress of Ororo "Storm" Munroe in Wolverine and the X-Men, reprising the role in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Haku in Naruto.
 * Find the Chadwick Boseman!Thoth reference in her intro sequence and you will get a free cookie.
 * Karasu's dad, Shinzo, is one of the truly evil characters to die in Bellum Bestiae with no chance of coming back for BBII; you'll find out who else in future bios.