Kuro Kuki

Kuro Kuki (九鬼九郎) is a young boy from the Kuki clan who originally served under the Hīragi Family, but due to their clan betrayal, he lived a miserable life. He is a minor character in Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose: Resurrection at Nineteen.

Appearance
He has short black hair, however not much is known or shown, but Kuro is of average height and build, despite being very young (probably due to his training and strength).

Personality
Kuro is very arrogant for his age especially towards Guren Ichinose, due to him being an Ichinose. Kuro views himself as high and mighty, confident he will defeat anyone who challenges and win every battle alone. His arrogance goes as far as forcing Guren to kneel on his feet in front of him, as well as taunting him.

However Kuro on the other hand does care for his friends deeply, they even trust him as their leader and they believe in him and so does Kuro. After Guren saved his friends he even thanked him despite his hatred for him.

History
He had been taught by his parents that the Ichinoses are nothing but worthless scum. When the Kuki Clan betrayed the Hīragi Family and joined the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights, rebelling against the Hīragis, Kuro who was the only survivor of the clan. Taken as a hostage, he was kept alive by the Hīragis as a hostage for years which made him despise the Ichinose clan even more.

Events of 2013
Kuro first appears in Guren's apartment in the end of the hallway, where Guren was with Shinya. Kuro walks his way to Guren and insults him, asking if he is Guren Ichinose. Kuro judges him a lowly Ichinose deeming him someone who is not suited to draw attention. Guren apologizes, though this does not go through the boy's head and Kuro sees it as an insult which tips of him off more. Hearing Guren admit he is a lowly Ichinose and should never rebel against anyone causes Kuro to interrupt when he finds it even more insulting.

Annoying Shinya with his cocky attitude, Guren asks him to get rid of the boy, Shinya tries to convince him but is ignored. Kuro then suddenly challenges Guren to step outside and fight him, shouting again in annoyance wanting to see how strong Guren is. Shinya leaves Guren alone with the boy. Guren is annoyed at how many idiots he keeps dealing with, and heads outside in the barracks where there is an open space which is usually reserved for training.

Kuro brings several of his friends, whom all seem as his age. He turns around to face Guren whom he already placed a magical trap around Kuro. Kuro demands Guren to show off his skills, desiring to see his skills as an Ichinose, Guren does not see a point in doing so, and Kuro is asked just what does he wants, coming all the way around here. Not answering such a question due to Guren being an Ichinose, Kuro orders him to draw his Cursed Gear. He is told by Guren that he will need his friends help after they are noticed.

Smirking, and confident, Kuro remarks that he can deal with him on his own, whom they believe in him as well. Kuro had laid his own trap then tells him again to draw his weapon. Ignoring Mahiru and the boy's declaration to draw his Cursed Gear, he fights empty handed. Kuro swings his sword at Guren, but he dodged it by a hair's breadth. Kuro evades Guren's punch but he used the momentum to grab one of the girls standing behind him, catching Kuro off guard.

As all his friends shouted to watch out, Guren then rolls the girl, sending her smashing into Kuro's friends. Guren then slips a spell tag from his breast pocket on the ground, in order to rewrite and take control of the previous placed trap. He positions it to interfere with the first part, since he needed four more spell tags.

Guren had his senses sharpened, sensing the boys behind him, before he could strike him with his sword, he stepped to the side, as Kuro sliced through open space, confusing him. As Guren threw another spell tag on the trap, Kuro realises how powerful Guren is and shouts to his friends to draw their swords. Although Guren was one step ahead of him, using the girl that was beside him, kicking her in the chest, this left only one of his friends standing including him. Ignoring them when they drew their sword and Guren slips another spell tag into the trap, Kuro's friend dashed at him with his sword recklessly. He dodged him multiple times, his sword hit him half- severing the thigh. Leaving a deep wound, because it was Cursed Gear it was not fatal but left him out of the fight, leaving Kuro by himself to fight Guren.

Irritated now, Kuro charges at him but Guren moves backwards precisely the same speed as him. On the fifth step he places the final spell tag on the trap whom he had hidden on the heel of his shoe to the ground. Kuro then asks Guren if he thought he won. Guren shrugs and informs him that he did indeed, and asks him if he had enough. Calling Guren an idiot for not noticing their trap he had laid on him as he was busy "showing off" not drawing his sword.

With his friends barely back on their feet, with their efforts being for nothing, Kuro points out the trap he had laid for him on the ground beneath his feet, believing he won. Even though Guren knew about it from the start, Kuro insults the Ichinose for being stupid and laughs. Even if he is stronger than them, they outsmarted him, while he keeps on insulting Guren. Kuro then forces Guren to apologise and kneel and informs him about the barrier and only death awaits him unless he dispels it. Telling Guren that he is arrogant Kuro again directs him to kneel down, apologize, and to never act as a lead soldier of the Order of the Imperial Demons.

They continue to taunt him kneel on the ground even as Norito and Shinya continue to watch Guren from a distance, murmuring to himself that it is so peaceful. Guren walks in the trap, where Kuro notices this and warns him he will be killed, and in doing so he ignored him twice when he warned him again. Not caring anymore and the boy's not to blame, he begins triggering the trap.

The trap that was laid activated, but much to their horror it turned against them leaving all his friends crying out for help. With no choice, Guren unsheathes his sword and cuts off the wires, saving their lives. Kuro tries to thank him but before he could, he is punched in the face by Guren. He angrily tells him why would he thank him, that he almost got his friends killed over some personal vendetta. Guren continues to berate the boy for his actions. He gives the boy lecturing for what he did in their fight.

This leaves Kuro at a loss for words and he can only apologize repeatedly, but Guren was not interested in his apology, his friends tell Kuro it is their own fault for not being strong enough. He stands up to Guren saying this was his mistake and he did not realize how strong he is as the leader of the Ichinose Clan, and if he were to punish any of his friends, he pleads him to leave them out of it. Guren asks for his name which he finally answers him with Kuro Kuki.

Realizing this all happened due to him being from the Kuki Clan, he questions him what happened to the rest of his clan, with a contorted pain in his face he claims that they are all dead. When asked by Guren why is he the only survivor he also claims that the Hīragis have took him in as a hostage. Guren figures out that he only attacked him to wash away the stain on his family name.

It is because of his name that his friends are always getting overlooked, even though they already achieved so much. His friends gather around him, patting him on his shoulder which Guren sympathizes with with as he himself had been branded as a traitor being an Ichinose. Kuro has a respectful tone as he tells him now even after they fought he gets how strong Guren is.

Asked his age, with Kuro being only fourteen and by the time Guren is seventeen, he assures him he would be stronger than him, but Kuro denies this as Guren is on a whole other level. With Guren remarking it does not matter as he can always can if he tries, Kuro is at a loss for words but agrees with him to which Guren is good with. Kuro later is surprised to see that Mito from the Jujo clan is friends with Guren.

While Guren was ignoring his friends he sees Kuro for the last time, hearing him laughing with his friends as he walks away.

Natural Abilities
Despite being only fourteen years old, Kuro has knowledge of many area including spell crafts, Cursed Gear and the Order of the Imperial Demons. Kuro is also quite adapt in combat, he was able to hold his own against Guren although Guren had gone easier on him. Kuro is also quite smart in combat for his age, he knew when to draw his sword as well as laying traps and barriers before engaging in battle. He was complemented for his efforts in his attempt to defeat Guren and told he could be even stronger than him when he reaches his age with effort.

Magic and Spells
Kuro does know how to use hidden magical barriers and traps that if triggered can be powerful enough to kill a person.

Cursed Gear
Kuro does have an Unknown type of Cursed Gear in the form of a sword.

For a fourteen years boy it is also challenging to wield a Cursed Gear unless if trained well, he managed to use his sword very efficient in battle.

Guren Ichinose
Kuro despises Guren on account for being born an Ichinose and acting like a leader. He loathes the Ichinose to no end and insults Guren multiple times, going as far as forcing him to kneel on the ground. Kuro even tried to kill him by triggering a deadly trap, if not for Guren rewriting and taking control of it. He tried all his methods in his hands just so he can clear off the Ichinose name from existence. On the other hand Guren regards him as a nuisance, having dealt with those situations many times, but he hides the fact from him probably because he is just a young boy.

This behaviour comes down to his clan name and Kuro being raised by his parents to loathe the Ichinose. Kuro had the idea put in his head that they are nothing but lowly scum. This was to a greater extent when he was taken hostage by the Hīragi's for many years, being the only one alive in his clan which made him even hate the Ichinoses even more.

After being humbled in their battle, he views Guren in good terms and he is encouraged by him to become stronger. Kuro is told when he reaches his age he would be even be able to surpass Guren strength himself. He acknowledges Guren's strength very well. Later he respects Guren as an Ichinose leader.

Trivia

 * Kuro「黑」means black.
 * He is the only survivor of the Kuki clan after they perished though some unknown means.
 * Ironically, those who look down on the Ichinose clan are the Hīragis. For his traitors clan that used to serve under the Hīragis, he pays the Ichinoses' no respect as well.
 * Kuro's parents drilled the idea on his head that the Ichinoses are nothing but lowly scums, so it is possible he hated them before that.
 * Kuro enjoys being with his friends, and he hates it when others look down upon them.