Context
Ms. Kagura was a character in the early King of Fighters brawling video games, during the late 1990s.
She was phased out after a few games, but made her storied return over the decades.
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Background
- Real Name: Chizuru Kagura.
- Known Relatives: Maki Kagura (twin sister, deceased).
- Group Affiliation: KOF Host, 97 Women’s Team, Three Sacred Treasures Team.
- Base Of Operations: Tōkyō, Japan.
- Height: 5’7″ (1.70m). Weight: 115 lbs. (47 Kg.).
- Eyes: Brown. Hair: Black.
Powers and Abilities
Kagura employs a soft fighting style. It is reminiscent of traditional Japanese women’s dances.
Her religious training and possession of the Yata Mirror give her a number of psychic and magical abilities. These include telepathy or the creation of mirror images of herself and — in extreme cases — others.
In KoF fighting games
In the games, she’s a complex character to learn, with a massive moves set. She’s one of the fastest fighters – and her moves have little lag on recovery, so they won’t leave her open against retaliation.
Her super speed ability can leave shadow clones in her wake. These execute variations on her moves, which make it difficult to predict where she’ll pop up or what sort of strategy she’ll use.
While her moves are generally weak, she has huge combo potential. So with proper management, she can actually deal tons of damage within a short time.
Her supers are pretty weak… except for Reigi no Ishizu. This unique technique denies her opponents their own special and super moves for a while.
Her worst flaw is an extremely floaty jump. It will leave her wide open if she takes to the air.
Sprite art by Marsonite .
History
1800 years ago…
Orochi was a godlike being from an ancient era. Over time, it came to see humanity as corruptive and destructive. It therefore decided to wipe them out so that the world could start over.
Hopefully, the next intelligent lifeform would be more suitable and less destructive.
However, three prestigious families wielded enough power to bring Orochi down. Though they couldn’t destroy it, they sealed it in another dimensionOther realms of existence that are not our universe..
Howbeit, this seal would not hold forever. There would come a time when their united powers would be needed again.
Caveat victor
Over time the Kusanagi, wielders of the red flames, gained great wealth and status. They towered over the other two – the Yagami and the Kagura.
The Kagura were more devout about their sacred duties than the other clans. They didn’t mind being the silent keepers of the seal. But the the Yagami grew jealous and plotted against their Kusanagi betters.
Over time the seal weakened. Not enough to release the Orochi, but enough for it to influence our world.
Art by Zakuta .
Folly of feuding families
The Orochi promised the envious Yagami great power in return for their servitude. They thus gained control over the cursed purple flames.
The Kusanagi didn’t take the betrayal well. There was great life lost on both sides when they clashed. The Yagami were driven to near extinction whereas the Kusanagi stayed prominent.
All the while the Kagura did not waver in their devotion to protecting the seal. They knew that there would come a day when the combined power of the three sacred families would be needed to banish the Oroshi anew.
Present generation
Chizuru and Maki Kagura grew up in wealth and privilege. They also trained night and day in the mystical and martial arts, lest any Orochi followers should appear.
Goenitz, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Orochi, did come to break the seal. Maki Kagura was defeated and fatally wounded, but Goenitz could only weaken the seal.
Chizuru returned home to find the shrine trashed and Maki on death’s door. With her dying breath Maki made her sister promise to vanquish Goenitz and reseal the Orochi.
Time was not on her side, but she knew what had to be done…
Adνеrtisеmеnt
King of Fighters ‘96
Chizuru had been keeping track of the KOF Tournament ever since Geese Howard had hosted the first one. It was a chance to bring together some of the world’s most powerful martial artists to combat the Orochi threat.
Previous host Rugal Bernstein had meddled in Orochi affairs – and paid a fatal price for it. This was an opening for Kagura-san to use her family’s vast wealth and influence to become this year’s new host.
More importantly, she knew that both Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami would participate. So Kagura would have a solid shot at reuniting the three sacred treasures after over a millennium.
Goenitz’ second strike
Just before the final match, Goenitz attacked the tournament.
His presence also triggered the Riot of Blood – a berserker curse present in bloodlines tainted by the Orochi.
- Iori Yagami slew his two teammates, Vice and Mature, in a Riot of Blood rage. Even though both women had been working for the Orochi the entire time.
- Kyo’s teammates, Benimaru Nikaido and Goro Daimon, were blown away by Goenitz’s magical storm.
- Therefore, only Kyo was left to defeat Goenitz.
Chizuru had to step forward and reveal herself as the heir to the third Sacred Treasure. Kyo hesitantly agreed to help, but Iori was still affected by the Riot.
Goenitz bade Iori to fight at his side – but this backfired. Iori had grown bitter and disillusioned about his familial curse. While he hated the other two families, he hated the Orochi’s curse and control even more.
The united champions of the Three Sacred Treasures did defeat Goenitz, who gorily killed himself. But:
- The seal remained damaged, making it easier for the Orochi to influence the world.
- Goenitz was but one of four Heavenly Kings who would come calling on the Three Sacred Treasures in the future.
King of Fighter ’97
Chizuru both sponsored and competed in this tournament. She was on the Women’s Team along with Mai Shiranui and King.
As it turned out, three other contenders — the New Face Team — were the disguised Heavenly Kings. They supposedly had joined the tournament to gain revenge on Iori after he defeated them in a battle-of-the-bands music contest.
Once they entered their Orochi phase their personalities and powers became radically different. They were hell bent on destroying all that would stand in their way and releasing their master. Opposing them were:
- Chizuru.
- Kyo and his team.
- Iori, a seeded contender from past tournaments who got preferential seating.
- The Ikari Warrior Team. But Ralf Jones and Clark Still were too busy trying to subdue their Orochi-descended teammate Leona Heidern, who had entered the Riot of the Blood.
First, last and always
The New Face Team was defeated, but their powers had further weakened the seal. In a last ditch effort members Yashiro Nanakase and Shermie committed suicide, transfering their energies to their youngest teammate Chris.
This was just enough to break the seal and allow Orochi to return – using Chris’s body as a host.
Benimaru and Goro were too injured from the previous match. So once again it fell to the Three Sacred Treasures of Kyo, Iori, and Chizuru to take on the demon.
After a furious battle Iori was able to grab Orochi by the throat. This gave Kyo enough time to land what would’ve been a killing blow to almost any other being.
This in turn bought Chizuru enough time to perform the banishing ritual. The Orochi was once again sealed off, avenging Chizuru’s sister Maki.
Chizuru Kagura semi-retired. She still ran family affairs and kept an eye out for threats, but the King of Fighters storylines — chiefly the NESTs Saga — didn’t involve the Orochi again until 2003.
King of Fighters ’03
Kagura-san hosted the 2003 tournament, as she was sensing another threat against the Orochi seal.
As it turned out she had been mentally controlled into that by Botan, a member of Those From The Past. These were the new antagonists in the Ash Saga storyline.
Under Botan’s control, Chizuru fought the heroes and used the magical Yata Mirror to resurrect her sister. However, she eventually broke free – and tried to restore the seal she’d contributed to weaken.
It was all for naught as Ash, an agent of Those From the Past, stole the Yata Mirror before she could complete the resealing.
The Mirror being mystically bound to her, Chizuru was left injured and powerless.
King of Fighters XI
Chizuru and Shingo Yabuki, a disciple of Kyo’s, recovered in the same hospital. They grew close.
Since she couldn’t fight anymore, Chizuru asked Shingo to take her place on the Three Sacred Treasures Team.
King of Fighters XIII
With the 13th Tournament coming up, Iori consulted with Chizuru as he felt that the Oroshi’s influence was increasing.
She agreed to help. And to seek ways to break the curse on his bloodline, as she considered that his heroic actions had redeemed the Yagami clan.
Though she couldn’t participate in the tournament, Chizuru was informed of Ash’s deeds by another friend, Benimaru.
A convoluted string of events led to Ash being possessed by his ancestor Saiki, the leader of Those From The Past. After they were vanquished they were wiped from the face of existence, and memories of them were erased.
Adνеrtisеmеnt
King of Fighters XIV
This restored Kagura’s powers, and she broke the curse on the Yagami.
Chizuru and friends didn’t play a major role in defeating Verse, this game’s big bad. But she, Kyo and Iori then travelled to Hungary to investigate a possible Orochi threat.
What happened next remains unrevealed. Presumably, they either neutralised the threat or didn’t find what they were looking for.
King of Fighters XV
Chizuru reentered the tournament for the first time since 2003. She, Kyo and Iori were a team again.
Though Kyo and Iori swore they would fight each other after the tournament, this was at this point more of a friendly rivalry. Thanks in part to Chizuru, their ancestral blood feud was largely over.
Description
Chizuru is a classy and proper Japanese woman.
She wears a very loose shirt and black pants and shoes which in a lot of ways look to be a more modernized version of the traditional Shinto shrine priest’s outfit.
She does of course occasionally wear the traditional get-up when performing rituals.
Her long black hair and pale skin follow the “traditional beauty” canon.
DC Universe Adaptation
(This section proposes ways of using this character in DC Universe stories).
Chizuru and the entire Orochi legend can be insert whole cloth as is to help populate the mystical community of Eastern Asia.
Quotes
“Shall we start ?”
“Shall we finish this ?”
“I see the real you in the mirror.”
“I will seal that power.”
“Can you see through this ?”
DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Chizuru Kagura
| Dex: 10 | Str: 02 | Bod: 03 |
| Int: 08 | Wil: 07 | Min: 05 |
| Inf: 08 | Aur: 08 | Spi: 07 |
| Init: 037 | HP: 080 |
Powers:
Adrenaline Surge: 04, Awareness*: 08, Dimensional Travel: 06, Neutralize: 03, Postcognition: 02, Postcognition: 02, Precognition: 02, Reflection/Deflection: 02, Superspeed: 08
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Adrenaline Surge only works with Neutralize and Superspeed.
- Awareness only seems to pertain to events connected with the Orochi.
- Dimensional Travel can only banish the Orochi.
- Neutralize is Minor Marginal, but it affects every Power of her opponent.
Skills:
Artist (Dancer): 04, Martial Artist: 11, Occultist: 08, Vehicles (Land): 04
Advantages:
Connoisseur, Insta-change, Iron Nerves, Languages (Japanese), Lightning Reflexes, Omni-Connection, Scholar (Orochi legends; Business administration).
Connections:
Kyo Kusanagi (High), Iori Yagami (High), King (Low), Mai Shiranui (Low), Benimaru Nikaido (Low).
Drawbacks:
SIA (sealing Orochi), Power Loss (instant, removal of the Yata Mirror).
Motivation:
Upholding the Good.
Occupation:
Owner of Kagura enterprises, protector of the Orochi seal, sponsor of The King of Fighters ’96, ’97 and 2003 tournaments.
Wealth:
014
Equipment:
- Yata Mirror [BODY 08, Animate Image: 30, Personality Transfer: 02, Telepathy: 04, possibly Teleport: 02 as Ash seems to have gained this ability after he stole the mirror — although it never demonstrated this ability when Chizuru was in possession of it].
One of the sacred treasures that keep the Orochi in place. It is extremely powerful. - She also enjoys motorcycle riding with Kyo and Iori on a pretty sweet CUSTOM RIDE [STR 04 BODY 05, Damage capacity (Physical): 03, Flash (Stdy illum only): 04, Running: 06, Security systems: 05, R#2].
