Kagura Mutsuki

""Don't give up, fight for what you believe in...even if it costs you your life.""

Kagura Mutsuki (カグラ-ムツキ), commonly known as the Black Knight and Black Gale, is a colonel in the Novus Orbis Librarium. Kagura is the current head of the Mutsuki family, and leader of the Imperial Guards. He led the coup d'etat to remove Izanami from power and seat Homura Amanohokosaka as its new Imperator.

Kagura debuted and was made playable in BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma.

Appearance
Kagura is tall and lean, with purple eyes and spiky black hair. He wears a baggy white shirt with black lines accenting the edges, over which he wears three brown belts, the last of which is much larger than the others and sports a golden buckle. Over his shirt, Kagura wears a black NOL cape with gold trim and crimson lining, that is fastened at the neck with a brown belt. He also wears black trousers and brown shoes with steel toecaps.

Kagura's weapon is an enormous black and red sword with a square shape and flat blade. The guard has a white grip wrapped around it.

Personality
"A gentleman who likes to flaunt himself and clearly knows that he's the top, but remains shrewd even while being carefree. Always looking into the future, he knows right from wrong and can cleanly divide good from evil."

Kagura can easily be described to most people as a womanizer and an alcoholic. He often holds wild parties and is sometimes caught hungover from one. Women are his greatest weakness, as he will flirt with them without missing a beat, even if they retaliate. He sometimes understands when to hold back, but this is not always the case.

Underneath this, Kagura is deeply dedicated to Homura, and would go above and beyond what a regular soldier would do for their liege. At times, Kagura affects a serious air and will do anything to help not just those close to him but also regular civilians. He was close friends with Bang Shishigami in the past, as they were both pupils of Tenjo Amanohokosaka. Kagura's deepest relationship is with Hibiki Kohaku, his loyal secretary and literary foil.

Biography
Born into the Mutsuki family in the 1st Hierarchical City of Ookoto, Kagura spent some of his life learning under Tenjo Amanohokosaka and would eventually become her protector as the head of the Imperial Guard. As a child, he met Meifang Lapislazuli who had stumbled upon Tenjo, and immediately went to Tenjo's side to protect her, scaring both Meifang and Tenjo. Houichirou Hazuki followed after him and hit him over the head for being so rude. Tenjo also hit him once before Kagura was dragged away.

He was then stationed at the 5th Hierarchical City of Ibukido. When Hibiki Kohaku was first sent to be his servant, he attempted to assassinate him. However, Kagura's resolve won him over, and Hibiki remained at his side ever since. Kagura also became acquainted with Makoto Nanaya, and as a member of the Duodecim, also knows Jin Kisaragi and Tsubaki Yayoi.

Remix Heart
Kagura visited the 15th Hierarchical City of Torifune to check up on Jin and ran into his relative, Taro Sasaga'e who had just accidentally shared a kiss with Mai Natsume. He teased Taro and asked if he should go and try his luck, but this struck a nerve. Then Kagura asked how Jin was faring before leaving Taro to arrange dinner for the dorm - although he did comment on flirting with Estella McKenzie.

Determination, Collisions, Spiral Shift
During the Ikaruga Civil War, Kagura was forced to fight against his lord Tenjo and good friend Bang. When Meifang asked about Tenjo, he told her Tenjo had been taken somewhere safe and due to Meifang's low class among the nobility, she wouldn't be told where. Tenjo secretly ordered Kagura to take Homura away before her assassination by the NOL, knowing that her child wouldn't be safe with her. Kagura began rebuilding Ibukido after its demolition and made great progress in the year since it was annihilated by the Nox Nyctores - Gigant: Take-Mikazuchi. Hibiki gave Kagura a report on the rampant looting of Ibukido, and the Black Knight suggested having the stragglers relocated to the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi. He asked Hibiki to greet Jin in the 7th Hierarchical City of Kazamotsu and bring him back to Ibukido. Once Jin arrived, Kagura talked about the war and ultimately about his decision to press forward with ending the war.

Kagura colluded with Sector Seven to bring an end to the war, working with Kokonoe to do so. Through their collaboration, they were able to lock away Azrael and organize a skirmish between Tager and Kagura. Their staged fight and Kagura's loss caused a big enough distraction and excuse to allow Kagura and Hibiki to sneak Homura out of Ibukido. Afterward, he sent Jin to the Ninth Squadron for interfering with a mission to "capture" Iron Tager.

Variable Heart
After the war ended, with Tenjo, Jin's medal ceremony as the Hero of Ikaruga was underway in the 2nd Hierarchical City of Iwatsuchi, and Kagura attended. He found Tsubaki, Makoto, Mai, and Noel Vermillion, offering to escort them across the city, but Makoto ignored him and knocked him out almost immediately. Later, Kagura discovered Mai being assaulted by Meifang and bought her some time by fighting Meifang instead. However, he lost, and Meifang advanced to continue her hunt for Mai. He then sent Jin to capture Meifang on grounds of treason against the NOL.

At some point, Kagura relayed information about his planned coup d'etat to replace Izanami with Homura to Makoto, asking her in turn to relay it to Tager and Kokonoe.

Chrono Phantasma
"The current head of the Duodecim's "Mutsuki Family," as well as the commander of the Imperial Guard and the highest ranking official in the Novus Orbis Librarium. Even while wandering aimlessly, the righteous young man has already raised the flag of rebellion against the NOL, which has deviated from the Imperator's will."

In the February of 2200, Kagura finally gathered the approval and backing of all the Duodecim heads for overthrowing Izanami as Imperator. Kokonoe took over his basement, turning it into a laboratory after being hunted down by the recently escaped Azrael. He sent Hibiki to find Jin and bring him back to Ibukido. While Hibiki was away, Kagura threw a massive party and had a hangover the next morning, and ended up being barged in on by Tager, Noel, and Makoto. He was formally introduced to Noel and dropped hints of having once spent a night alone with Makoto before being attacked by her for his persistent flirtation. Kagura was informed of Azrael's new-found freedom.

Kagura met with Tsubaki, who was being controlled with the Mind Eater, and told her that they had something of great importance to discuss. Hazama arrived and introduced himself, giving Kagura a letter from the Imperator, transferring control of Kagura's troops to Hazama and Tsubaki during their tenure in Ikaruga. Hazama dropped hints that he knew about Kagura sheltering Kokonoe. Kagura warned Kokonoe about this after he became aware of the powers of the Sealed Weapon Izayoi. He was later introduced to Celica A. Mercury.

Kagura travelled to the 6th Hierarchical City of Yabiko to find Noel, who was pursuing Tsubaki. There, he encountering Ragna the Bloodedge and bested him in combat. Ragna was taken back to Ibukido and imprisoned, to Kagura and Kokonoe's delight. With Kagura's encouragement, Ragna persuaded Noel to not pursue Tsubaki, after which Kagura made his way back to his office and found that Hibiki and Jin had finally arrived. They began organizing the Battle of Ragna the Bloodedge.

With Noel back at headquarters, Kagura went to find Makoto, who had also begun to pursue Tsubaki, and found her on the brink of being defeated by the Izayoi's overwhelming power. He arrested Makoto and issued a fake decree from the Imperator to Tsubaki to return to her task of finding and apprehending Ragna. He later scolded Makoto for being so reckless, telling her that he had tipped Tsubaki off to her location and was watching them fight so he could verify the Izayoi's power. He later further explained his plan to Ragna and Celica.

A massive feast was organized, where he was introduced to Taokaka, Rachel Alucard, and Valkenhayn R. Hellsing. In the evening, Kagura fought Arakune, who had attempted to consume Noel, and listened to Kokonoe's explanation of how the creature was able to enter the building. Kagura met with Bang later on, introducing him to Homura, and the two reconciled. The following day, they held the Battle of Ragna the Bloodedge, which Kagura presided over. He watched the numerous contestants fight up until Azrael made his way into the Colosseum and battled Bullet. Ragna took over for Bullet to fight the Mad Dog, but was unable to keep up, prompting Kagura to tag in and fight Azrael himself. Their fight was long and almost evenly matched even with Celica's presence, but Azrael managed to land a blow that briefly knocked Kagura unconscious. After this, he realised that Azrael could not fight those who had no will to fight and abused it, buying Kokonoe and Tager enough time to teleport the criminal into a dimensional prison.

With some direction from Kagura, Tsubaki herself was lured into the Colosseum after Azrael's defeat and engaged in a battle against Makoto, Noel, and Jin that forced her to transform into Izayoi. After her Mind Eater was broken, Kagura brought Izayoi to his side of the rebellion and introduced both Izayoi and Jin to Homura. Kagura and Kokonoe later explained to Ragna how they planned to overthrow the Imperator and the circumstances surrounding Celica. He was later caught flirting with Noel, but was knocked flat by Makoto.

During their explanation of how they would defeat the Imperator to Ragna and Noel, Rachel reminded them that Tenjo's soul inside the Phoenix: Rettenjo could be used to activate the Kushinada's Lynchpin, which would nullify the seithr that Izanami uses. He later directed Jin and Izayoi to stay with him and charged Hibiki with protecting Homura while he directed another group consisting of Noel, Makoto, and Ragna to the Lynchpin, which he had Bang protect. Jin, Izayoi, and Kagura were assaulted by Izanami and Nine the Phantom, and were left unable to even move through gravity sorcery. Izanami seriously injured Kagura, and formally announced Homura as her successor, abdicating her position as Imperator.

As Doomsday began, Kagura helped Homura keep the NOL together as their soldiers began dissolving into seithr. Kagura became one of the chosen, and was eventually absorbed into the Embryo that had begun to occupy the space above Ibukido.

Central Fiction
"The current head of the Duodecim's "Mutsuki Family." He serves the Imperator Homura Amanohokosaka, is the highest ranking officer in the NOL, and oversees the Ikaruga Federation. He disembarks in Kagutsuchi along with the Fourth Thaumaturgist Squadron that he directly commands to complete his mission to subjugate the Grim Reaper."

Before being taken inside the Embryo, Kagura and Kokonoe gathered Tager, Makoto, and Hibiki together in order to tell them about the situation at hand, and gave them a brief description of the events that had occurred in the last few months.

After being brought into the Embryo, Kagura's memories were completely changed. He was made to believe that he had slain Tenjo and was therefore the Hero of Ikaruga, and that he was in 12/31/2199. Kagura was charged by the NOL to find Jin, who had abandoned his post, and found him in Kagutsuchi. Kagura couldn't understand Jin, as the latter's memories had been left unchanged. He later found and apprehended Ragna, and battled against Tager, who Kokonoe had ordered to stop Kagura from progressing. Kokonoe explained to him that they were in a changed world, and that there were discrepancies in his memories, but Nine interrupted them by teleporting Kagura to the Phantom Field, where the two fought. She explained to him that he was one of the chosen and that to fulfill his wish he must defeat Izanami.

Kagura met with Kokonoe, Hibiki, and Tager in his office in Ibukido. After Noel was found, Kagura ventured to the Lakeside Port in Yabiko, where he found Hazama fighting Mai and Noel. By intervening, he was able to bring them both safely to Ibukido. They all discussed the discrepancies in their memories until Celica found her way to them, and their memories eventually returned to them when the Amaterasu Unit entered the Embryo. She told them that Ragna was looking for Noel, and they set up a gauntlet of opponents for him, with the final one being Kagura himself. The two fought, and Ragna rejected his dream before Amane Nishiki teleported him away. Kagura returned to Ibukido with Tsubaki in tow. At some point, he ordered Mai and Hibiki to guard Homura in case he would be targeted.

Rachel explained to Kagura that Ragna was using the Azure Grimoire to consume people's "wishes" so that multiple "possibilities" could be made and that so Noel wouldn't have to die as Izanami had wanted. He joined in on Ragna's gamble, putting his faith in the Grim Reaper. They returned to Yabiko and discussed how to break into Nine's laboratory under Sector Seven's headquarters, meeting Jubei and Trinity Glassfille for the first time. After the death of Nine, Kokonoe came back to Ibukido, where Kagura was waiting. A week later, the remainder of the squadron at Nine's lab would be teleported back to Yabiko. Before the squadron arrived, Kagura sent Hibiki to fetch Hakumen and Tsubaki back to Ibukido, and they discussed how to take down Izanami and Relius Clover. After the squad arrived, Kagura learned of Celica's death.

Kagura, alongside Ragna, Lambda-11, Hakumen, Minerva, Noel, Tsubaki, and Jin were teleported above the frozen space-time that Izanami had created using the Corpus Sepulcro: Requiem. Kagura and Jin separated from the group, going to the Embryo's version of Kazamotsu. To their dismay, Azrael found them and shifted space so they were back in the Colosseum. Kagura and Azrael fought a rematch and, for a while, Kagura had the upper hand thanks to his intensive training. Unfortunately for him, Azrael responded by releasing several of his limiters, allowing him to move faster than Kagura could see. At this point, Jin and Trinity unleashed Yukianesa, saving Kagura's life and freezing Azrael in place, giving him his first ever taste of defeat. Kagura told Jin to catch up to Ragna and that he was going to rest before hauling Azrael to Kokonoe. At this point, it is presumed that Kagura dissolved into seithr after having his data stored by Es.

Kagura was last seen in the new world created by Ragna. He delivered a speech at an official NOL ceremony presided over by Homura, with Hibiki and Jin also present.

Powers & Techniques
The Black Knight is easily among the strongest of the cast. He has fought consistently his whole life and undergone harsh training that has allowed him to best even Azrael's first limiter, a feat that no one else can boast. Kagura's Drive is Black Gale which allows him access to several stances. Kagura primarily fights using Ars Magus. As the head of the Praetorian Guard, his strength is legendary even among the strongest of the NOL's forces.

Kagura has a gifted strength and can lift his massive sword with relative ease; he dances around his blade, launching it at his opponents, or uses it to vault over and even as a shield, showing great talent in handling his weapon despite its cumbersome size. His strength has even been compared to Azrael's, although he protests being "lumped in" with the Mad Dog.

Despite all his strengths, Kagura still has weaknesses. He can underestimate opponents such as Meifang and be beaten by his chivalrous attitude towards women.

Kagura Mutsuki
''The head of the Mutsuki Family of the Duodecim. He is a commander of the Praetorian Guard, and the highest ranking official in the Intelligence Department. His rank is Colonel.

''He has no shortcomings in both politics and martial arts – and wields his massive sword with grace, earning him the nicknames, Black Knight Kagura, or Black Gale.

''If there were two things in the world he could not survive without, it would be alcohol and women. He’s a man of gentle manners but is always in some way showing off. And it might seem like he constantly wavers in attitude and opinion, but he never forgets his own sense of justice when it’s time to act.

''The Mutsuki Family has been placed in charge of overseeing the Ikaruga Federation since the war came to an end. But that does not mean he enjoys it. Recently, he has begun to doubt the Imperator’s methods of enforcing order upon people, and while being a member of her closest guards, the Praetorian Guards, he secretly plots a coup d’état.

''To correct the wrongs in the world from the inside of the NOL, he resorts to drastic measures, reaching out to the NOL’s sworn enemy, Kokonoe of Sector Seven.

Appearances in other Media

 * The mobile game, Mabinogi Duel, stars Kagura as a playable card.

Trivia

 * All of Kagura's moves are named after various types of dragons and related creatures of folklore and mythology.
 * In Library Mode, Kagura is mistakenly called the highest ranking official in the Intelligence Department rather than NOL.