Riku

"Come on now. Weren't you listening?... I absolutely loathe the Four Perils. The only time I'd be willing to take a life is if I'm taking it from someone that I love."

- Riku to Jyūbei

is a character in Hanyō no Yashahime. He is a mysterious young financier of Shikabaneya, a demon bounty-hunting business owned by Jyūbei, the corpse dealer.

History
Little is known of Riku's history or his nature; all that is known is that he secretly intends to obtain all seven Rainbow Pearls to get something from Kirinmaru. It is not known when or from whom he acquired his blue Rainbow Pearl, which he has fashioned into an earring, nor when he first met Jyūbei. He appears to have a past with Kirinmaru's Shikyō and holds an intense dislike for them. He is also familiar with Sesshōmaru and his father, although to what extent is unknown.

Personality
Riku generally is friendly and easygoing, but this affable nature appears to hide an unknown true nature and agenda. Despite remaining civil with them, he harbors the belief that no good can ever come from loving a human.

Although he is capable of handling things on his own, he will not act unless it is something that he wants to do personally, preferring to let others unknowingly take care of those problems for him. Despite his manipulative nature, Riku does reward those that aid him, as he is the one that has been hiring Moroha to kill various yōkai for him, paying her through Jyūbei.

He seems to have taken an interest in Towa, befriending her shortly after meeting her. However, he has expressed disappointment in her skill with her blade in comparison to her father.

He also seems to be very knowledgeable about important events, telling the audience, as a fourth wallbreaker, the story of what happened until Episode 15 (Hanyō no Yashahime). He warned Kagome about the Grim Comet and Kirinmaru wanting to kill her child and the half-demon twins. Apparently, he also knows that Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha are granddaughters to the Great Demon Dog as he addresses them as "Half-demon princesses." He is aware that Towa inherited her father's Sōryūha.

Physical Description
Riku is a handsome young man with green eyes and auburn hair worn to his neck, with part of it styled into a Japanese topknot, as well as two long bangs along the sides of his face.

Outfit
Riku wears a striped blue and dark blue kosode with torn edges along the sleeves, a white hadajuban undershirt, a beige haori jacket with red and black stripes along the collar, a light blue sash tied along his waist, purple hakama leggings with thin vertical dark purple stripes, a pair of black suneates around his shins, and a pair of white tabi on his feet with waraji straw sandals.

He wears a round blue earring on his left ear.

Powers & Abilities
Not much is known about his abilities, although it is said he could easily kill the Shikyō if he actually desired it.

Earring:
His main weapon is a little round blue earring on his left ear. Its unknown where he obtained it and how its connected to the Rainbow Pearls. This is shown in Episode 18 (Hanyō no Yashahime) where Riku is holding Rainbow Pearls in his hands, including the blue one, but still wearing the Earring, so they are not the same. Some of its abilities are:

Matter Manipulation: By flicking his earring, Riku can alter and control any form of matter (both organic and inorganic), such as manipulating water, producing gold dust and even disintegrating living beings like Kyūki.

Summoning: By touching his earring, Riku is able to call Takechiyo at his command.

Teleporting: As of in Episode 21 (Hanyō no Yashahime), Riku can flickering his earring to transport from one place to another.

Kikujūmonji
He possessed the Katana shortly, after stealing from the Deputy Shogun of Kanto, but didn't use it.

Rainbow Pearls

 * Blue Rainbow Pearl: He used it to control a small body of water from a stream, and create a bag of gold. He could even call on Takechiyo if needed.
 * Purple Rainbow Pearl: TBA
 * Green Rainbow Pearl: TBA

Relationships
Riku always has a kind approach to Towa. On the other hand, she thinks he is weird. Still he finds new ways to gain Towa's trust. Their first official encounter is when Riku is looking for his ship and Towa for Mt. Musubi in Meeting Through an Apple. At first sight he thought that Towa was a samurai, but quickly notices that she was a girl and calls her Princess. After they walk together for a while, the two are reaching an river, where Riku shows his abilities in Water manipulation. After a short lunch break, he leaves on a boat that was just arriving, somewhat "forgetting" the real Kikujūmonji, that he stole a few days ago from the Deputy Shogun of Kanto. Riku also knows about Towa's time travel, what he tells the audience in Episode 15 (Hanyō no Yashahime).
 * Towa


 * Setsuna

Towa introduced her sister and Moroha to Riku, but personally they haven't talked to each other. Setsuna only listens when Riku and Towa talk. It is unclear how she thinks of him yet.


 * Moroha

Moroha has to kill the Four Perils as a bounty hunter for Riku, so she cares more about his reward. Even if the quest is a trap.


 * Jyūbei

Jyūbei receives the quests that Moroha has to perform. It is yet unknown how long they have known each other, but at one point in the past, he gave Jyūbei the green rainbow Pearl.


 * Takechiyo

He addresses Riku as "Lord Riku"and follows the order to transport him and the Half-Demon-Princesses when its needed.


 * Kagome Higurashi

They first met during the night of the lunar eclipse, shortly before the Grim Comet traveled close to the earth and warns her about it. When he states that Kagome is pregnant and that her quarter-demon child will be in danger should Kirinmaru wake up from his slumber, she quickly trusts Riku's words and warning her friends, husband and half brother-in-law about Lord Kirinmaru's plans against their unborn daughters.


 * Kirinmaru

He states to Zero that Riku is loyal to him and trusts him with a not nearly described matter.


 * Zero

Being the elder sister of the demon lord he serves under, she calls him an indolent person.


 * Kyūki

After she is defeated by Towa's Azure Dragon Wave, Riku appears. She only says his name, before he reduces her to dust and bones, taking the Demon's purple Rainbow Pearl. They clearly know each other as servants of Lord Kirinmaru.


 * Konton

They meet up in Episode 17 (Hanyō no Yashahime), where Riku went to a cave to support Konton luring the Half-Demon Princesses into a trap. Konton doesn't seem to trust Riku fully, because he states that Riku wasn't helpful in the past, but still accepts his help. After Konton is defeated in Episode 18 (Hanyō no Yashahime), Riku is looking at the headless corpse without a word and takes the blue Rainbow Pearl with him. Riku has stated that he hates the Four Perils for having poor taste.


 * Tōtetsu

He offers that gigantic glutton as a focal point for Konton's eight field trap for the Half-Demon Princesses. He eventually becomes agitated and displeased when he appears to attack Towa, who has again become fully mortal due the new moon, as Riku's "date" with Towa is rudely interrupted because of him.

Trivia

 * Riku seems to be a demon, as he speaks disdainfully of demons loving humans and is mentioned to be strong enough to kill the Four Perils. He also shows no signs of aging from fourteen years in the past.
 * Riku's loyalty is still unknown, as he serves Lord Kirinmaru but acts on his accord to further increase his strength by collecting all seven Rainbow Pearls in order to call upon the ancient great power that they are the keys to for his own purposes.

Media Appearances

 * Episode 7 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
 * Episode 8 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
 * Episode 14 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
 * Episode 15 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
 * Episode 17 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
 * Episode 18 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
 * Episode 21 (Hanyō no Yashahime)

Riku