TV Special
Description
Abandoned by his parents as a child and left to die, Ryuya was rescued by a traveling monk whose murder he later witnessed at the hands of bandits. This event profoundly shaped his outlook, forcing him into self-reliance. He stole a sword, becoming a young mercenary and developing exceptional swordsmanship that allowed him to subdue opponents non-lethally, even when outnumbered. His skills led him to join the imperial army as a VIP bodyguard, eventually assigned to protect Kannabi-no-Mikoto (Kanna) at a shrine housing "winged ones".
As head of security, Ryuya interacted regularly with Kanna and her caretaker, Uraha, learning of Kanna's orphan status and her wish to find her mother. Suspicious of superiors ordering document gathering before Kanna's relocation, he uncovered a plot against her. He orchestrated Kanna and Uraha's escape just before mercenaries attacked, burning the shrine and killing the other guards and caretakers; these mercenaries were part of a coup targeting winged ones viewed as imperial weapons. After nearly killing a pursuer during the escape, Ryuya promised Kanna he would never kill while serving her.
Now fugitives, Ryuya guarded Kanna and Uraha while evading imperial forces. Kanna expressed romantic interest during their journey, though moments were often interrupted. Using clues from shrine documents, they located Kanna's mother imprisoned at a Buddhist shrine. Ryuya fought the guarding monks non-lethally, upholding his promise, but was wounded by a cursed attack from a spared monk. Mercenaries ambushed them during departure, mortally wounding Kanna's mother. Upon her mother's death and physical contact, Kanna inherited her curse. Surrounded by imperial forces, Kanna created a distraction by flying skyward, where she was banished by a Buddhist curse, worsening Ryuya's back wound via a secondary transmitted curse.
Ryuya and Uraha traveled together, researching how to save Kanna. They learned she was trapped in an eternal nightmare, banished to a realm where she dreamed of Ryuya dying at imperial hands. Discovering the curse couldn't be lifted for a century, Uraha proposed a multi-generational plan involving conceiving a child to continue their mission. They conceived the child, but Ryuya succumbed to his worsening curse-induced illness before the birth. Reflecting in his final moments, he found happiness in his efforts to save Kanna and his life with Uraha. A dream-like sequence depicted him venturing skyward to reunite with Kanna.
The anime adaptation shows Ryuya witnessing Kanna's banishment after she was struck by arrows while fleeing. He dedicated his remaining life to breaking her curse, collaborating with monks knowledgeable about winged beings, ultimately dying from an unhealed sword wound exacerbated by contact with Kanna's cursed mother. The film adaptation differs: Ryuya is explicitly Kanna's lover with no romantic involvement with Uraha. He dies from a spear wound sustained during Kanna's escape, and his abilities with inanimate objects are shown as the origin of Yukito Kunisaki's puppet-controlling powers, contrasting with the game where Uraha is the source.
As head of security, Ryuya interacted regularly with Kanna and her caretaker, Uraha, learning of Kanna's orphan status and her wish to find her mother. Suspicious of superiors ordering document gathering before Kanna's relocation, he uncovered a plot against her. He orchestrated Kanna and Uraha's escape just before mercenaries attacked, burning the shrine and killing the other guards and caretakers; these mercenaries were part of a coup targeting winged ones viewed as imperial weapons. After nearly killing a pursuer during the escape, Ryuya promised Kanna he would never kill while serving her.
Now fugitives, Ryuya guarded Kanna and Uraha while evading imperial forces. Kanna expressed romantic interest during their journey, though moments were often interrupted. Using clues from shrine documents, they located Kanna's mother imprisoned at a Buddhist shrine. Ryuya fought the guarding monks non-lethally, upholding his promise, but was wounded by a cursed attack from a spared monk. Mercenaries ambushed them during departure, mortally wounding Kanna's mother. Upon her mother's death and physical contact, Kanna inherited her curse. Surrounded by imperial forces, Kanna created a distraction by flying skyward, where she was banished by a Buddhist curse, worsening Ryuya's back wound via a secondary transmitted curse.
Ryuya and Uraha traveled together, researching how to save Kanna. They learned she was trapped in an eternal nightmare, banished to a realm where she dreamed of Ryuya dying at imperial hands. Discovering the curse couldn't be lifted for a century, Uraha proposed a multi-generational plan involving conceiving a child to continue their mission. They conceived the child, but Ryuya succumbed to his worsening curse-induced illness before the birth. Reflecting in his final moments, he found happiness in his efforts to save Kanna and his life with Uraha. A dream-like sequence depicted him venturing skyward to reunite with Kanna.
The anime adaptation shows Ryuya witnessing Kanna's banishment after she was struck by arrows while fleeing. He dedicated his remaining life to breaking her curse, collaborating with monks knowledgeable about winged beings, ultimately dying from an unhealed sword wound exacerbated by contact with Kanna's cursed mother. The film adaptation differs: Ryuya is explicitly Kanna's lover with no romantic involvement with Uraha. He dies from a spear wound sustained during Kanna's escape, and his abilities with inanimate objects are shown as the origin of Yukito Kunisaki's puppet-controlling powers, contrasting with the game where Uraha is the source.