Akatsuki Iride, originally named Akira, was adopted by the Iride family after the death of their biological son due to health complications. His adoptive mother, traumatized by grief, renamed him Akatsuki to mirror her lost child’s identity, a change he ultimately embraced. After his adoptive father perished in a lab accident, Akatsuki unknowingly inherited a concealed connection to a mysterious island and was integrated into the genome project as a participant to protect his identity as a high school student. He presents a cheerful, optimistic, and friendly personality, having worked as an escape game streamer. Beneath his airheaded and carefree exterior lies unexpected perceptiveness and intelligence, allowing him to deduce hidden truths about the game. He struggles to experience or recall emotions like anger and sadness, often maintaining a perpetual smile that may mask internal distress. Physically, he has fair skin, short brown hair with a distinctive white streak in his right bangs, and blue eyes. He typically wears a procedural face mask pulled below his chin due to pollen allergies, though these rarely manifest within the game environment. His attire varies, including a standard school uniform, casual dark T-shirts, and situational crossdressing outfits such as a sailor uniform or a white sacrificial kimono with a veil. Akatsuki forms deep bonds across diverse backgrounds: he befriends the giant panda Pantarou, the volatile Anya Kudō after eating her disliked bell peppers, and even the game master Paca and the oni elder Kihachi through non-confrontational diplomacy. He shares a pre-game online friendship with Yuzu Roromori, with a discovered photograph hinting at a possible earlier face-to-face meeting. During the trials, he volunteers for a dangerous ouija board task, offering friendship to a spirit that nearly kills him until Pantarou intervenes. Later, he nurtures an egg with teammates Himiko, Anya, and Makino; his wish to see Pantarou again influences the panda-like traits of the hatched girl Murasaki, and he embraces a parental role alongside Himiko. He also survives an attack by a mimicry monster disguised as Karin, aided by Anya.