Asuramaru

Asuramaru 「阿修羅丸, Ashūramaru」 is a high-ranked demon of the Black Demon Series. He forms a contract with Yūichirō Hyakuya and becomes his Cursed Gear. He was previously the cursed gear of Mahiru Hiragi.

Appearance
Asuramaru appears as an androgynous adolescent male with hair that appears to go beyond his feet. Bangs cover his left eye. As a vampire-gone-demon, he has red eyes, fangs, and pointed ears.

He wears a headband formed of two parallel golden strips that match the horns piercing through his hair from the edge of his hairline. The horns grow larger once Yu loosens the curse restraining him.

He wears a sleeveless open-back dress (?) with a collar covering his throat. The chest piece is black while the rest of the dress is white. The gown splits open at his outer thighs, freeing his legs for movement. He wears black sleeves separated from the gown that reach his mid-upper arms and come down to his arms to his middle fingers, where each sleeve is attached to a ring. He is barefoot.

As Asuramaru exists as a mental concept, he can appear as anyone within Yu's memories he chooses. He often takes the forms of the 12-year-old Mikaela Hyakuya as well as Akane Hyakuya, the other Hyakuya orphans, or even Yūichirō's parents. He chooses his forms depending on what he believes will be best for breaking Yu's will.

Personality
Asuramaru is a blood-thirsty demon who was originally a vampire. He delights in drinking Yuichiro's blood and goes into a giddy high after Yu feeds it to him for the first time. As a possession-type demon, he is described as particularly nasty and aggessive.

Like all demons, he is manipulative and uses nightmares to consume the one he possesses in order to take over his host's body. At the beginning of the series, he interrupts his host's dreams every night, making Yu tired during the day. After all, the only reason he allows Yu to borrow his power is for the future opportunity to take over his body.

After Yu loosens the curse on him and the two battle for dominance, Asuramaru eventually gives in to Yu's compassion and submits to him. He also stops giving Yu nightmares.

Even so, Asuramaru thinks of humans as vile greedy creatures and says they are even worse than vampires. He considers them to be taboo-breakers who will destroy the world. Although he is fully aware of Yu going insane on the battlefield and of the experimentation done on him, Asuramaru does not reveal any of these vital secrets to his host. Asuramaru is more of a trusted enemy rather than a friend or ally.

He considers angels to be disgusting.

History
Asuramaru was a vampire known as Asura Tepes who was from the same family as Third Progenitor Krul Tepes. Asuramaru was apparently slain before the manga, sealed within a sword by humans and chained in place by a curse, thus becoming the weapon of Mahiru Hīragi. After Mahiru`s death, he became part of the Black Demon Series.

Story
Asuramaru first appears in chapter 6. Lieutenant Colonel Guren Ichinose takes his new recruits into a ceremonial room where the Black Demon Series weapons are located. To enter the contract ceremony, Yūichirō Hyakuya selects Asuramaru's sword. He enters the spell circle and draws the blade to begin the contract ceremony.

Asuramaru immediately thrusts Yu into an illusion where he is surrounded by his slaughtered family members. Asuramaru approaches Yu in the form of a 12-year-old Mikaela Hyakuya and accuses Yu of abandoning them. Yu calls him out as a demon. Letting the form of Mika collapse, Asuramaru stabs Yu and digs into his memories.

He chats with Yu. Yu claims he wants power for revenge, which Asuramaru says he will give him unlimited power as long as he gives up his love for his friends. Yu then says he needs power to protect everyone. He glows brightly, surprising Asuramaru. Asuramaru says he will obey Yu as long as his heart remains strong and promises to take Yu's body the moment he senses any weakness. He informs Yu that Yu is 1/10th not human and suggests humans modified him in some way. When asked, Asuramaru refuses to explain and ends the ceremony.

At the beginning of chapter 8, it is revealed that Asuramaru has been tormenting Yu in his dreams every night since Yu formed the contract with him. He takes the form of Mika and accuses Yu of leaving him behind.

At the end of chapter 13, Yu meets Asuramaru when the drugs he ingested take effect and force him to transform and lose control. Yu asks if Asuramaru is trying to take over, and Asuramaru denies it. He calls Yu monstrous and states that Mika was right. He says the two should run as far away from humans as they can before Yu loses his humanity altogether. Then, he says they are out of time after all.

In chapter 19, Yu feeds his blood to Asuramaru. In chapter 20, Yu battles Asuramaru for over 20 hours in order to take his power to the next level. Asuramaru giggles and gasps with delight at the taste of Yu's blood, making Yu calmly respond that Asuramaru is acting like a vampire. Asuramaru's horns are much larger than before. Asurmaru says he is a vampire and that all vampires turn into demons in the end. Asuramaru leaps at Yu, and chains from the curse binding him restrain his movements. Yu asks him about the chains holding Asuramaru prisoner and then asks if it hurts. Perplexed, Asuramaru denies any pain.

As mandated by the curse, Asuramaru explains how to advance Yu's power. Giving Asuramaru blood his blood was the first step. Asuramaru laughs when Yu does not remember losing control and nearly killing Shinoa. Disregarding it as something that has nothing to do with him, Asuramaru explains that they will attack each other with every blow zapping the mental strength of the other until one's willpower is depleted. Explaining the rules further weakens Asuramaru's curse.

Breaking free of the chains, he attacks Yu. The illusion shows Mika and Akane blaming him for Mika becoming a vampire. Yu coughs up blood but breaks free. Unabashed, Asuramaru bites his neck.

Yūichirō appears as a child younger than when he first entered the orphanage. In a room with a tipped-over table and bottles on the floor with papers, pens, and drinks spilled, Yu faces his parents. His mother kneels on the ground in the kitchen with her back to him while his father curses him, calling him demon spawn. He says he must kill the seraph of the end or else the world will be ruined. His dad holds a large knife and says its for the greater good. He chases Yu into a massive apartment hallway, where he sees Akane and Mika again. Mika says that his turning into a vampire was Yu's fault, and Akane says a devil child like him should have died there like a good boy instead of coming to their orphanage and ruining everything. The illusion of his father stabs Yu through his back and left chest.

Yu says he will not go berserk over something like that. He talks about Mika and visualizes a kind 12-year-old Mika to break free. He says that Mika is the first one who ever needed him. As long as Mika needs him, he can break free.

Annoyed, Asuramaru watches him, cursing him and calling him unwanted. Yu decides against attacking Asuramaru, saying that he does not hurt his friends, which makes Asuramaru laugh. Yu asks Asuramaru to join him and become his friend in order to save Mika. In exchange, Yu says he will be Asuramaru's friend since Asuramaru must be awfully lonely.

Perplexed, Asuramaru agrees and submits. Yu can now perform Asura-Kannon.

Forms and Abilities

 * Demon's Thrall: Asuramaru can enter his host's dreams and enter their memories to create nightmares of his host's past in order to break his host's will and take over their body. This ability can only be used against his host.
 * Basic Form: Asuramaru appears as a sword. Even without being called, his power is immense. When his name is spoken by his bearer, he coats his host in a green aura and becomes even more powerful.
 * Asura-Kannon: A special technique using Asuramaru that materializes dozens of floating swords roughly in the shape of a fan. This type of ability should be impossible for a possession-type demon.

Trivia

 * Upon forming a contract with Yūichirō, he can immediately tell that 1/10th of Yu is not human.
 * Although he often appears as human 12-year-old Mikaela Hyakuya, he has yet to take the form of vampire 16-year-old Mikaela Hyakuya.
 * In the manga, Asuramaru refers to himself with "boku (僕)," a first-person Japanese pronoun usually only used by males, but it is also used by tomboyish females so Asuramaru's gender was still in question. However, it has been confirmed in the latest official fan book that he is indeed male.
 * Krul Tepes inquired Mahiru about him in Volume 5 of the light novel.

Quotes

 * "I can tweak a heart as weak as yours all that I want."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 6, "Black Asura"
 * "I like strong ones. I like strong desires. If you want power for revenge alone, then I will give you unlimited power. (As Akane) But that's not enough, Yu. You gotta do more. You have to live for revenge in truth now. Or else we can't give you any power. (As Mika) Yeah. Give up your love. We hate that more than anything. We like greed. We can't stand love. Yoichi? Kimizuki? Shinoa? Who cares about companions? Are you going to go off and make new friends... and be happy without us? That's no fair, Yu. Only you survived. We didn't. You left us to die--"--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 6, "Black Asura"
 * "Love and greed intertwined. What an incredible contradiction. This is why humans destroy the world."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 6, "Black Asura"
 * "You interest me. As long as your heart stays strong, I will obey you. But if I detect even a moment's weakness, your body is mine. Do you agree...? Then, I will be yours. My name is Asuramaru. When you want power, cry out my name."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 6, "Black Asura"
 * "You see... There's something strange inside you. You are about one part in ten... not human. Maybe other humans have modified you in some abnormal way."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 6, "Black Asura"
 * "Don't trust humanity, Yu. Humans are more frightening than vampires. Even more frightening than demons. Heh. How odd to say that to a human."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 6, "Black Asura"
 * "I will be your power. I will be your blade. Open your eyes wide... and let your greed grow. Slice the world wide open, Yūichirō Hyakuya!"--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 6, "Black Asura"
 * "(As Mika) ...Yu. Yu! You left me behind, Yu... to die. Haha! You will keep having this dream over and over. This is the darkness inside of you. It is a part of you. And I... (As Asuramaru) I am your power. Use your darkness and make me into a demon of revenge."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 8, "Mitsuba's Squad"
 * "But if one day you feel your like your heart will burst, just call my name. Give me your body... and I will see your revenge through for you..."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 8, "Mitsuba's Squad"
 * "Who would have thought that I, a demon, would ever be scared of how monstrous the human I'm possessing could be?"--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 13, "Reunion of Childhood Friends"
 * "Look at the sky. You've stained it an ugly black, spreading it over the world like a curse. Yu? Mika is right. If there is still time... both of you should run as far away from humans as you can. If you don't, you'll lose your humanity altoge... Uh-oh. You're out of time after all. The part of you that isn't human is about to run wild."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 13, "Reunion of Childhood Friends"
 * "Blood... I... tasted your blood. Heh... Heheheh... Power... My power is returning..."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 20, "The Demon's Nightmare"
 * "I'm becoming my true self again. Your blood was delicious... Give me more."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 20, "The Demon's Nightmare"
 * "Give me blood. Your blood. Your body. Your soul. Your everything. I will possess you... and defile everything that you are!!"--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 20, "The Demon's Nightmare"
 * "Humans are frightening creatures. They have no qualms about delving into forbidden arts. Not the least of which is that terrifying thing hidden inside of you."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 20, "The Demon's Nightmare"
 * "Ha ha! And you don't even remember! Humans truly are despicable."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 20, "The Demon's Nightmare"
 * "Come, Yu. Let the death match begin. Let's see who will be the master, and who the servant. Aah... The bonds are loosening... loosening... I can feel my sanity slipping away... Blood. Flesh. Everything that you are... is mine. Die, human."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 20, "The Demon's Nightmare"
 * "The curse is weak. You can't bind me anymore. Now, I can reach into your deepest darkness. Let your rage burn, your greed consume you. Break, Yu."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 20, "The Demon's Nightmare"
 * "Well, well! Not bad. But don't think you can bluff me. I know you're weakened. Weakened and unwanted. Even your parents threw you away, Demon Spawn."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 20, "The Demon's Nightmare"
 * "Those pills you took are a problem. They force us to go crazy, all while keeping your greed in check. That contradiction won't do. You can't just take drugs and expect to get stronger without any consequences, Yu. That's wrong."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 34, "Asura's Power"
 * "I'm afraid I can't answer that. You're already dead. At least it was a quick death. You took so much of that drug that all your internal organs ruptured, and your heart exploded. I have pretty powerful regenerative abilities, but all that damage is beyond even me. You're done, Yu. Dead."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 34, "Asura's Power"
 * "Angels can be far nastier than us demons."--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 34, "Asura's Power"
 * "Huh..? Damn. I can't put you back to normal. You've lost more of your humanity and are even uglier than before! Seriously... Don't ever do that to my body again!"--Asuramaru to Yūichirō Hyakuya, Chapter 34, "Asura's Power"