Sukeroku

Sukeroku
Japanese name:	助六
Appearances
Primary franchise:	Fate
Appears in:	Fate/Grand Order
Characteristics
Species:	Human, Oni
Gender:	Male

Arima Kihei^WP (有馬喜兵衛^?), using the name Sukeroku (助六^?), is a character appearing in Fate/Grand Order.

Profile

Background

Arima Kihei was a swordsman known for being Miyamoto Musashi's first dueling opponent. This version originated from the female Musashi's worldline, which was later erased. Encountering Musashi upon a mountain road, he challenged her, losing his life. As he died, his grudges turned him into an oni known as Sukeroku in Onigashima Island.

Role

Fate/Grand Order

Musashi Trial Quest

Sukeroku and another oni attack Ritsuka and Musashi after the pair woke up on the beach of Onigashima. They plan to force them into slavery, but Musashi defeats them in battle. Sukeroku finally recognizes her, being familiar with swordsmanship as a former swordsman himself. His partner abandons him and leaves to be killed by Musashi. However to his surprise, she doesn't kill him, as she refuses to kill opponents who lost the will to fight.

He later meets Ritsuka and Musashi at a tea shop. He introduces himself as the caretaker of the island's fields and farms. He followed them out of concern about Musashi, especially given Onigashima is fated to disappear without its master. He reveals the island only exists in the boundary of dreams and illusions, whose only visitors are homeless oni without a home like himself. Deducing they wish to return to their native worlds, Sukeroku tells Ritsuka and Mushashi to go to Onigashima's summit. There they will find the shrine dedicated to the island's god seeped in her divine aura. As the god rejects anything unnecessary, Sukeroku suspects Ritsuka and Musashi will be forcibly returned to their worlds. Musashi decides to force him to be their guide.

As they travel up the mountain, Sukeroku recounts Musashi's history. He is the only oni interested in swords, pilfering through related books and documents. He is confused when Musashi reveals her world was pruned. Eventually the trio reach the first gate guarded by Cleopatra. Sukeroku recognizes her Pharaoh Fighting Style, a magical technique strengthened by pompousness and laughter. After Musashi defeats her, the trio proceed to the second gate guarded by Tamamo Cat. Sukeroku recognizes her anger towards Ritsuka for ordering a New Years meal from convenience store is due to the housewife traditionally making the meal to show her gratitude towards her husband at the year's end. Musashi defeats Cat, and the trio proceed to the third gate. Instead they find an open field with crashed spaceship, where Mysterious Heroine X ambushes Musashi. Sukeroku describes her Saber Ninja Technique as a demonic technique taught to the King of Knights by a traveler after the latter mistakenly crossed the sea and got lost on Mt. Katsuragi. Though powerful, it becomes almost useless once the user joins your side. Musashi breaks her W. F. D. bracelet in the ensuing fight, revealing the field and ship were illusions produced by it. After X disappears, the trio proceed through the third gate to the summit.

At the summit, Sukeroku regains his memories and transforms into a Shadow Servant. Before becoming an oni, he was a swordsman from Musashi's world. After killing children in Miyamoto Village, he passed by Musashi on the mountain road and challenged her to a duel. She killed him, and he wandered the world with a grudge until he became an oni who had forgotten everything. After being defeated, Sukeroku reveals Musashi's world, from which she was ejected, is gone. She will continue to wander across a multitude of worlds until she encounters her greatest foe. For this reason, Sukeroku pities her for such a opponent doesn't exist. Musashi refutes his words, recalling how she was almost killed by Yagyuu Munenori. Sukeroku explains her greatest opponent is one who mastered the path opposite to her own, infinity. Claiming no such person exists, he disappears believing Musashi will wander forever.