Kyozo Kururugi
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| "I must kill them all - every woman on this mountain." | ||
| Japanese | 枢木恭蔵 くるるぎ きょうぞう | |
| Alias | Man with a Blade | |
| Family | Shino Kururugi (sister) | |
| Cause of Death | Suicide by self-immolation | |
| Encounter | Fourth Drop, Unfathomable Forest | |
| Games | Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water | |
| Notes | Bloodstained Notes | |
Kyozo Kururugi is a ghost that appears in Fatal Frame V. He instigated a massacre on Mt. Hikami, slaughtering every shrine maiden he could find before killing himself.
Background
Through quotes obtained using the Voice Lens, it is revealed that Shino Kururugi was Kyozo's sister. He murdered a man to "protect" her, but Shino was heartbroken and went to Mount Hikami to commit suicide. Kyozo blamed the shrine maidens for her death, believing they had lured her there.
Initially, it appears he intended to die a proper death as well, in accordance with the local religion. A Maiden of Black Water, Emi Mikomori, lifted her veil to glance into his soul, but Kyozo was unable to bear her gaze, or the idea that she would know all his sins and secrets. He became agitated, shouted at her not to look at him, and fled into the forest. Since it was forbidden for anyone to leave the mountain, she gave chase, but Kyozo escaped.
Resolving to kill every shrine maiden on the mountain, he covered his body with sacred writing, then returned and started a massacre, first killing the shrine maidens and then using his blade to crush their eyes so they would no longer look at him. He also slaughtered the Flamekeepers at the Hall of Fire by cutting off their heads. Finally, he returned to Pool of Purification, where he set himself on fire and slit his own throat.
An apocryphal folk-tale passed down in the region states that Kyozo fell in love with one of the Maidens of Black Water, and began his murderous rampage in revenge when she refused him.[1]
Fatal Frame V
During Fatal Frame V, Kyozo prowls the Unfathomable Forest, including the Watarai Residence and the Ephemeral Shrine Path, attacking anyone he meets. The first encounter with him is optional; in the Fourth Drop, Yuri can investigate a torn bag abandoned on the floor of a clearing to witness a vision of an explorer meeting Kyozo and dying by his hand. After this vision ends, Kyozo will attack. During Thread 2, Ayane sees Kyozo near the Shrine of Dolls, and remarks, "This one looks like trouble. It's a ghost, but it reeks of blood... That must be the blood of its victims. It may have been human once, but I doubt there's any humanity left now."
By extinguishing his torch, Kyozo can make himself temporarily invisible, although the Camera Obscura can still detect his presence. In defeat, he charges at the player, making it challenging to perform a Fatal Glance - in order to do so, you must photograph him again before he can reach you.
Voice Lens Quote
- "Don't LOOK at me... I... by my own hands, I... I KILLED him... to protect my sister, I ended his life... And yet... she turned to the mountain... It's THEIR fault... All of them... THEY beckoned her there... I have to kill them all... I have to kill them... I HAVE to KILL them..."
- ―Kyozo Kururugi src
Battle Quotes
- "I must kill... all the shrine maidens! All of them! All must die! I have to kill them! It was you... you killed my sister! And then they'll know... they'll see... They Glance at me... Those... all those eyes... I must kill... You think you can simply Glance at my soul at will... do you? DO YOU? All of them... all must die... It burns! It burns! It wasn't me... It was HIS fault... No! Don't look!"
- ―Kyozo Kururugi src
Misc. Info
- The sacred writing on Kyozo's face may have been inspired by the legend of Hoichi the Earless, who had a sutra written on every part of his body to make him invisible to spirits.