Takashi spent nearly a decade in secluded training with the rest of the monks at the Anirian monastery, learning their culture and studying every field of knowledge they could teach him.

Despite starting off as a rough student, Takashi's eagerness and determination shaped him into a focused student, and his teachers were quick to spot his hidden potential along with his previous talents. It wasn't long until his training evolved from history books and tales to swordplay, becoming his area of expertise.

Even though he's too young to be considered a master, Takashi is seen as a very talented and deadly swordsman. His skills with blades are empowered by a magical power put inside him by the monks after a long and ancient ritual. This power allows him to become even more deadly, enhancing his speed and reflexes beyond a ordinary human, and also giving him the ability to harness this magic from inside, that he can use along with his attacks, similar to a magic aura.

Aside from the sword, Tak was also trained in many varied arts, known as the Shinobi Code. His past 'career' as a young thief helped him greatly in that regard, allowing him to use his quickness perfectly, be it in combat or to allow him to move with discretion.

The Shinobi Arts taught him discipline and care with his kills, to move silently whenever possible and attract the least amount of attention before resorting to open combat, although Takashi always favored a more direct and violent approach.

He's also very intelligent and innovative in combat, employing quick thinking and wit to surprise his opponents, like using his scabbard in combination with his katana.

But the powers given to him came with their costs. Using his magic often can be very tiring, given the fact that he's a warrior, and not really a mage. He also can't fully comprehend his powers and is very limited in their use, like with simply powering his blade for a attack, and only for a few seconds before they become a toll on his body.

Takashi's personality has been shaped by his rather young although eventful life. He was but a hot-headed brat in the past, but the years living in the monastery allowed him to get a better understand of the world and his surroundings.

The monks taught him to be kind yet firm, without showing weakness. He learned to be more focused instead of lashing out with anger at every problem, and also to be more assertive and cunning. And even though his young mind is very inquisitive, he learned to keep things to himself whenever possible, to hide his more primitive emotions.

But he is after all a young adult, still prone to many of the mistakes from the past. Forever a student, he realized that he would always have to keep learning and improving so he could find his place in this vast world, one of the reasons that drove him to go out and explore.

Despite being somewhat unstable with his personality at times, Tak can be regarded as a calm and centered individual, a man with a good heart and hopeful ideals, with the desire to change things for the better and to help whoever he can.

Takashi Haller, also known as Tak, was born a simple boy on the rough streets of Cerak, in the Black Bay.

Young and handsome enough, Takashi grew up without a proper family, having never met his father and his mother who was only by his side for a few years, before being forced into prostitution and dying of disease. Still, it never put out his desire to fight and change his life for the better, and so the fiery and troublesome kid started to make a name for himself in the region.

It wasn't long until the problems caught up to him, having being nearly killed in a mad attempt to relieve some mercenaries of their plunders. Despite being heavily wounded, Tak managed to evade his attackers and was eventually found by a few travelers.

The travelers turned out to be wandering monks, who took him to their temple, in the mountains to the north of the Allir Reach, to be nurtured back to health.

Having impressed the elders with his talents and by defeating every other competitor, Takashi earned the right to undergo the last trial to be chosen as champion of the monastery. After days and nights of battle, Tak was able to best one of the masters, and so he was chosen.

The prize was a magical ritual to put a ancient power inside his body, something that was being kept hidden and guarded by the monks from the rest of the world. Tak took it upon him the remaining powers of a spirit from ages ago, a fierce fighter of demons and other monstrosities, as told by the monks' tales.

After the ritual was done and the young man recovered, the elders finally told him all about their order and their mission to preserve that old power to be used against demons and any kind of other evil creatures, especially in a time of many catastrophes caused by their invasions.

The masters then armed Takashi with his own katana and set him on the path to fulfill his role as a guardian of those powers and champion of the monastery, to hunt down monsters as others before him did.

A Matter of Debt
Winter
Silver Lightning