Tomoko Saitou

Tomoko (智子, Child of Wisdom), known also as the Royal Child of Heisekai, is the spirited daughter of Kaede and the next in line for the throne of Heisekai. Her father is believed to be the recently deceased Akira Nakamura, though this remains mere speculation, especially since Fujimoto casts doubt on the relationship. Her unfortunate bodyguard is Nero Hiraga, while her attendant is the elderly Kidō master, Hanako Nakamura.

Appearance
Tomoko is a pretty young woman with short-cut blond-colored hair that closely resembles both her mother and grandmother during their younger years. Her fringe hangs over her forehead with several stray strands positioned between her large, deep, green-colored eyes which hasn't done much to ease the complaints of her elderly attendant, who believes a princess shouldn't just dress the part, but look it. On either side of her head are prominent bangs, which are somewhat messy considering her high social status, again to her attendants annoyance. Mentally she is quite mature, though the opposite is true in regards to the physical. In fact, in terms of age and build, Tomoko is merely a child, even if her intelligence and sharp wit lead you to think otherwise. She hasn't yet grown into her curves, with an appearance more like that of a boy in terms of build, which hasn't gone unnoticed by the other girls within the palace. Her tendency to keep her hair cut short is another contributing fact that leads others to mistake her sex upon meeting her; though this has worked to her advantage on several occasions. While she does resemble her mother quite strongly, there have been several within Heisekai that have cited her resemblance to Akira, the man presumed to be her father. Fujimoto, Akira's elder brother, reckons not however; saying mentally that he knew her father quite well.

Throughout Part II her usual attire is also quite plain when her social status is taken into account, with the sole exception of her ōbi, which is delicately embroidered to demonstrate various flowers and richly made by the same tailor who makes her mothers garments. Over a long-sleeved shitagi which is colored white she commonly wears a purple velvet short-sleeved, low-collared kosode which is also of quite fine make that comes straight from her mothers own wardrobe; demonstrating a similar fashion sense between mother and daughter. The kosode gives way to a simple purple velvet skirt which ends near the top of her thighs. The length of the skirt has come with many comments from critics, mostly revolving around it being inappropriate for the royal child to wear. Tomoko herself has admitted she wears it solely because "it does get rather distressing to be mistaken for a boy. The skirt serves its purpose well", even though she has on more than one occasion donned boys clothing to disguise herself and escape the palace. However, per the beginning of Part III, she could no longer disguise herself as a boy successfully due to her growth. When appearing before the public, either to give addresses in her mother's stead or to build her own experiences for the future, Tomoko wears very different attire which is much more befitting her station. This outfit usually takes the form of a strapless gown decorated with green vine-like leaves from chest to waist with detached sleeves, with various other natural wildlife motifs prevailing. In addition she wears a golden ornament in her hair, a silver crown embedded with green jewels, and a green jeweled necklace which has been noted by her elderly attendant to match the color of her eyes.

As per Part III however, Tomoko has matured well beyond her childhood years and now sports long black hair instead of her former blond. Anyone mistaking her for a boy now is either blind or speaking of the years when she was, and Tomoko was quick to take advantage of it in her dress which, again, annoys her elderly attendant to no end. This boils down to the singular fact that Tomoko has grown to possess a curvaceous figure which her usual, comfort-geared uniform does little to hide. Instead of the simple kimono-style garb she favored before, Tomoko now favors a more comfort-based uniform themed around ease of movement, which she adopted because of assassination attempts - said attempts resulting in two scars across the left side of her chest. The garb also emphasizes the curves her aged attendant wished she would take more care concealing. The uniform consists of a sleeveless top colored red, with a black vest worn beneath, black fingerless gloves upon her hands, black shoes, black shorts, a short red apron skirt, and black elbow protectors with silver bracers. She also carries a sheathed kodachi strapped horizontally across her back just above her hips, made specially for her use, as well as a katana strapped to her back at an angle by way of a red strap. In addition to the bladed weapons, Tomoko carries several other weapons secreted about her person, such as throwing knifes and vials of poison. The most used of all however is the blade embedded into her left bracer which extends through the use of Shugarūn.

Synopsis

 * Main Article - Bleach (Kenji Hiroshi).

Dragonforce arc Part I

 * Lost amidst Splendor
 * Gears laid in Motion
 * Escalating Tensions! Shūhen's Return
 * Through the fire and Flames

Equipment
Katana: A specially made katana with a slim blade designed for its lightweight and puncturing ability. The hilt wrapping is the same red color as Tomoko's outfit with a bronze circular guard for protection. The inside confines of the sheath are doused in a debilitating poison which robs the victim of their movement, numbing muscles and, eventually, rendering the target unconscious. In addition, Tomoko has personally applied a wind rune to the blade which allows it to become shrouded in fierce wind currents simply by directing her spiritual power into the steel; greatly increasing its cutting power.

Kodachi: A specially made kodachi designed for situations where the katana's length makes it unwieldy. The hilt wrapping is the same red color as Tomoko's outfit with a bronze flat guard which offers minor protection. Bound within the steel is a control rune which activates when Tomoko cuts her target. The afflicted limb no longer obeys the owners commands, instead being controlled by Tomoko through the rune.

Throwing Knives: A simple set of throwing knives with a sharpened blade. The steel of each knife is bound by an explosion rune which Tomoko can set to detonate several seconds after they have been thrown.

Poison Vials: Simple poison which robs the victim of their movement, numbing muscles and, eventually, rendering the target unconscious. It is this poison that lines the inside of her katana's sheath.

Powers and Abilities
Through the use of certain runes this power is heightened.

Swordsmanship Specialist: Having been trained by Fujimoto and Hiei to ward off the attempts of assassins should her guards be incapacitated, Tomoko has some skill with a blade and can use both her katana and kodachi together without impairment. She commonly flows her attacks into the effects of Shugarūn to throw her opponent off.

Shugarūn: As the next-in-line for the throne, Tomoko, like her mother before her, is capable of using the unique spiritual techniques passed on from one generation to the next amongst the royal line. When used, Shugarūn allows her to brand others with various runic symbols, the effect displayed depending solely on the rune used. Use of a control rune allows her to exert her will upon others, which is showcased whenever poor Nero happens to disobey her commands. She is also skillful in battle runes and has incorporated various runes into her clothing, onto her skin and onto her katana and kodachi to aid her against assassins.