Kuroto Hourai

Kuroto Hourai ( 蓬莱 黒刀 ) is one of the Zweilt guardians and the youngest professional shogi player (Shogi). However, Kuroto left his professional career to focus on fighting Reiga and the Duras, explaining to Yuki Giou that both Shogi and fighting Duras are so important that he cannot possibly split his attention between the two, and thus he has to choose one. He gained a love for Shogi after he was taken in by Senshirou Furuori's grandfather. He lost his original partner during the previous war and Senshirou is now his second partner. He greatly respects Luka Crosszeria and says that he 'owes him a great debt,' because he saved him and Senshiro from certain death. Kuroto hates the Opast Cadenza, and is consumed with getting revenge because of the fact that he killed his partner in a past life, Oboro and killed his master Garan.

Personality
A professional shogi player prodigy who is very quiet and serious by nature. But, once he decides to do something he'll put full effort into doing it even if it means quitting something he loves e.g. shogi. Kuroto is a character similar to Luka, but the boy is much more emotional, especially in the manifestation of the negative. Quite closed, and considers himself through life alone.

He is actually slightly like Hotsuma as well, though, as he gets embarrassed easily and is quite the tsundere around Yuki. Whenever Senshiro gives him a compliment, he gets easily flustered and loses his cool and tells Senshiro to "shut up!" in embarrassment. An example of this is in episode 18 of the anime, where Senshiro remarks that despite his looks, Kuroto is actually a good kid, to which Kuroto responds by shaking Senshiro and getting angry and embarrassed, telling him to shut up. Senshiro then comments to Kuroto: "You blush so easily Kuroto," which of course angers and embarrasses him more.

Appearance
Kuroto is the youngest of the Zweilt guardians with black hair and golden-green eyes.

He is very handsome and cute in appearance. In the manga, in their first meeting, Yuki comments (without thinking) that he looks as cute in real life too, which causes Kuroto to get into a dark mood, particularly when Senshiro joins in the commenting. He's very sensitive about that, it seems, as after Yuki says that, Giou Tachibana remarks that he has "set off a landmine." (meaning Kuroto's dark mood)

Background
When he was seven years old, he was brought to Senshiro's home (which was a training dojo) and began his training there. He had resigned himself to be alone in his solitude, particularly after the death of his partner in a previous life, but it was because of Senshiro and Master Garan (Senshirou's grandfather) that he began to come out of his shell of solitude. The demon named Cadenza who killed his original partner attacked the dojo, killing Master Garan and all of the members of the dojo, save for Kuroto and Senshiro because they were protected by a barrier that Master Garan had put up before engaging Cadenza in battle.

Senshirou
He grew up with Senshiro, and although he regarded Senshiro (and Tsubaki) as 'idiots' at first, he eventually comes to see Senshiro as a friend.

In the manga, it is revealed in the first meeting with Kuroto and Senshiro that Senshiro actually often drives Kuroto to and from the Shogi hall; it is because of this sort of thing that Yuki's impression of Senshiro and Kuroto is that they are a bit different from the other Zweilt teams he's seen, and rather than the lovey-dovey relationships he's seen between the other teams, he thinks that Senshiro seems more like Kuroto's man-servant.

Kuroto also tends to be easily embarrassed by Senshiro; whenever Senshiro gives him a compliment, such as that he's a good kid, he will get embarrassed and angry at Senshiro, telling him to shut up.

Yuki Giou
At first, he wasn't so fond of Yuki but he started to warm up to him later in the anime/manga. In the anime, he was willing to put aside his revenge to save Yuki after Reiga kidnapped him. In the manga, which goes farther than the anime, Kuroto is shown to be quite fond of Yuki and in a show of his tsundere side he asks Yuki if he's alright after being told the truth by Takashiro but then immediately asks him to forget it and says if he's bored he'll play shogi with him. His love for the game was also brought back by Yuki with Kuroto noting that he actually enjoyed playing with him and even lost track of time. They play together once a month. In story 55 after Yuki came back from the main residence in Kyoto, Kuroto tried to welcome him home with a blush but when Senshirou beat him in saying it first, he got very angry with Senshirou. He and Yuki also joined the chess club in school together.

Trivia and Notes

 * He fights with a black katana called Izanagi (Hell)


 * In the manga, it is revealed that he likes Japanese sweets.
 * When a bunch of thugs whom Senshiro and Yuki butt heads with knocks his ice cream to the ground, he stops telling the two not to get caught up in other people's fights and instead, goes into a rage about his ice cream, going "dark" as he punishes the offending thugs.

Quotes

 * "Don't idle around, Senshirou! This isn't a picnic!"