saku gyousou

Introducing himself as "General Saku from Kouki Province," his real name is Sou but people call him Gyousou. The first glimpse of him was when Taiki and Sanshi were sitting on the mountain watching the candidates travel up the trail. When he came to offer incense, he startled Taiki and caused him to halt the ceremony. The next time they meet, Gyousou was severely reprimanding Goson for causing a disturbance on Mt. Hou. Despite his courteous demeanor and attempts to soothe Taiki, Gyousou always seemed somewhat violent, as befits a warrior. Risai commented that it was his ambitious aura that frightened Taiki and that she would fear Gyousou if she were his enemy. In Risai and everyone else's view, Gyousou's sternness was precisely what a kingdom needed. When Taiki finally became more at ease around Gyousou, he and Risai went on a hunt for youma. They rested for a night, and it was then that Gyousou asked why Taiki was afraid of him. He always wanted to understand in which ways he was lacking, because he felt, as others did, that he was more than qualified to be the king. He wondered if Taiki's fear stemmed from the fact that he smelled strongly of blood. Taiki told him that he was like fire: though he's drawn to it, he knows it's dangerous. Gyousou was satisfied with this explanation and assured Taiki that he would eventually find a good leader. Gyousou's main character flaw was his pride. He was willing to resign as a Sen-nin and general because he was not chosen as king. He said it would be a good lesson for him. He was leaving Mt. Hou with a group of travelers who wanted to hunt youma on the way down and required an escort. This hasty exit was akin to running away in shame. But that ego, along with his toughness, made the perfect counterpart to Taiki's gentle innocence. It made the pair all the more striking. When Taiki finally chose Gyousou as king, he seemed to become less arrogant. He renamed Taiki to Kouri, which refers to a peak high on a mountain where the dead are believed to walk. (Renaming a kirin is a sign of affection.) He called Keiki to Tai because he was worried about Taiki's depression. He also helped arrange to prove that Taiki was not wrong and ease the young kirin's conscience. He balanced power and compassion quite well. So while no one knows what happened to him, it's clear that he would have made a good king.