Kurusu Konochi

Kurusu (来栖, Kurusu) is a bushi who serves the Yomogawa family as Ayame's personal bodyguard. He is usually sober and honest, vehemently upholding his code of honor and duty as a bushi.

Appearance
Kurusu is constantly seen with a somber, serious countenance and a well kept appearance, his hair up in a single short tail and clean shaven. He wears a white shirt under a light blue jacket. He wears what seems to be a dark blue tailed vest that protects his midsection and holds down his blue shoulder plating. He wears blue vambraces and greaves over white trousers, his boots reinforced with metal at the soles and heels.

When not equipped with a steam weapon, he constantly carries his blade at his side.

Personality
Kurusu takes his job extremely seriously, honoring his profession and social class to the extreme, always ready to put his life down for the commonfolk and his liege lord. However, he seems to remain close-minded due to the common fear toward the Kabane and the prevalent do-or-die attitude regarding the struggle against them, to the point of remaining distrustful of Mumei and Ikoma even after witnessing both their personal involvement in keeping the Koutetsujou and its passengers safe.

He has shown signs of humanity, though they're fairly limited to Ayame, though if this is strictly due to loyalty or underlying affection is not clear as of yet.

West Gate Breach Arc
Kurusu is presented one of Lord Yomogawa's foremost servants, accompanying him to the Kōtetsujō's inspection upon its early arrival to Aragane Station. After a brief and violent exchange between a hysteric and presumably infected crewman and the bushi, he puts Ikoma down following his passionate outburst over the senseless death sentence the crewman was gunned down with. He personally arrests Ikoma and seems to remain by Lord Yomogawa's side throughout the day until the station was breached by the Kabane and the now-hijacked Fusōjō. He attempts to man the defense of the station until it becomes clear there is no stopping the Kabane onslaught, at which point he is tasked with Ayame's protection as Lord Yomogawa himself attempts to reach the Kōtetsujō. As the fighting intensifies, Mumei appears to give the besieged bushi a break, taking the fight to the Kabane and luring them away while the local populace makes their way to the Kōtetsujō under Kurusu and Ayame.

Seeing Ikoma free from his cells and already by the train, he demands a physical inspection at gunpoint, but his worries are dismissed by a tired Mumei who explains Ikoma is not a Kabane. Inside, the bushi attempt to put down some semblance of order in the Kōtetsujō, taking up defensive positions and repelling the onslaught of Kabane now dedicated to stop the train. Kurusu identifies an afflicted Lord Yomogawa on the tracks among several other Kabane, and tries to stop Ayame from witnessing his cruel fate, telling her that he is just a Kabane and not her father. Acting as the de facto captain of the train given Ayame's inexperience, he scours the train cars for Kabane threats, seeing Ikoma's glowing heart after the former had protected the people in one of the cars from a Kabane stuck on a door, but revealing his torso as he did so. Immediately classifying him as a target, he shoots Ikoma out of the train despite Takumi's protests.

Though the Kōtetsujō had become mobile, Kabane gore had rendered some of its external switches unusable, not least of which the one controlling the drawbridge of the Eastern Gate. Kurusu suggests going out himself and lowering the bridge for the train, harshly chiding his men when they mention the suicidal nature of such an act for their cowardice, reminding them of their duty and status as samurai. Ironically, he then witnesses Ikoma putting his own life on the line for the same purpose, and managing to accomplish just that. Nevertheless, he approaches him once again after Takumi pulled him on-board once more, throwing him a suicide charge and admitting that while he feels no shame in being saved by him, he should still perish for the good of the people on board, and that if Ikoma wouldn't take his own life, he would. Mumei abruptly interrupts once more, claiming that Ikoma was no Kabane, but a Kabaneri instead, revealing herself to be one as well. Not convinced, they get into a tense standoff until Ayame puts an end to it and a minor agreement is made between the Kabaneri and her, and while it is quickly broken due to necessity, Kurusu is once again pulled away from the standoff by greater circumstances.

Journey to Kongoukaku Arc
As the Kōtetsujō is damaged and in dire need of repairs before continuing to its destination, a funeral is held for those lost in Aragane Station. Kurusu is seen at attention watching the ceremony while practicing his swordplay, seeming tense and remorseful. When Ikoma was about to bite Ayame, Kurusu rushed to her aid and viciously pushed Ikoma away. He told him to drop the act already and threatened to kill him. The tension stopped when Mumei warned them of the approaching Kabane. Kurusu was angered when the six chiefs questioned Ayame's leadership of the Koutetsuou, and commanded respect. Ayame then humbly gave in the master key to six chief, which surprises kurusu. When they were ambushed when taking the mountain route, Kurusu actively provided resistance and fought with his katana. Kurusu was able to fend of the wazatori and seemed to have the upper hand until he failed to pierce its heart cage and was subsequently stabbed through the stomach. He fell on his stomach and was saved by Kibito before the wazatori could finish him off. After Ikoma made a contract with Ayame and finsihed the wazatori, he volunteered to offer his blood to Ikoma and Mumei along with Ayame and the others.

Abilities
Swordsmanship: Trained in steam arsenal use and swordplay, Kurusu seems to be highly proficient at both.

Agility and Reflexes: Additionally, he has shown impressive feats of physical prowess, such as having quick enough reflexes to parry a lead ball thrown at lethal speeds by Mumei herself with just the barrel of his steam rifle.

Kabane-Enhanced Katana: After his original Katana is destroyed, he was given a new Katana by Ikoma, which is capable of slicing Kabane in an instant with a simple swing.

Ayame
Kurusu is Ayame's personal bodyguard and only real pillar of support after the affliction of her father by the Kabane Virus. Though cold and pragmatic in nature, he does seem to display genuine affection toward Ayame, even if he tempers it with his usual stern facade.

Ikoma
Entirely distrustful of both him and Mumei, Kurusu considers him a burden and a real threat. Though his prior contact with Ikoma wasn't more than a simple arrest for his insubordination, since the former's transformation into a Kabaneri, Kurusu has always made it clear he will kill him without reservations should he present himself to be a danger to anyone aboard the Kōtetsujō. Kurusu gradually begins to trust Ikoma, offering his blood for the later's nourishment.

Trivia
來棲