Taira no Katsuzane, the Seiryū of Earth, stands among eight guardians sworn to shield the Priestess of the White Dragon. A mid-ranking noble of the Taira clan, he enforces peace in the capital through relentless patrols, a duty that fuels clashes with the Minamoto and Fujiwara clans amid their ancient feuds. As a child, Katsuzane shunned aristocratic decorum to roam the slums with commoner friends. A fire at twelve trapped him beneath rubble, where he listened helplessly to the dying around him as his father’s samurai pried him free. The ordeal carved lasting guilt and bitterness toward his family, especially his status-obsessed father and sister, the Priestess of the Black Dragon. His bond with foster brother Isato frayed further when the latter took monastic vows. Cynical and quick-tempered, Katsuzane disdains courtly pretenses yet shoulders solitary responsibility for the capital’s safety, patrolling alone on horseback. His wood-aligned bow unleashes piercing energy darts, mirroring his sharp tongue and lone-wolf defiance. Though he resents living in his sister’s shadow, duty anchors him. Player choices sway his political loyalties. Should the protagonist embrace bravery, he allies early, shielding her from vengeful spirits and clashing with his counterpart, Yoritada. Initially skeptical of her priestesshood, Katsuzane’s guarded loyalty solidifies as her resolve prods him to face buried insecurities. His story threads through self-doubt, claustrophobia, and fractured family ties, with growth emerging through vulnerable exchanges. In *Yume no Ukihashi*, he joins guardians to shatter Heavenly Realm seals, risking all to spare the capital ruin. Across tales, his arc bends from jaded isolation to steadfast purpose, shaped by the protagonist’s grit and his own faltering steps toward protecting others—and himself—without sacrificing pride.