Information

Souza has a minion!

Yoshimoto the Stained Glasswing Butterfly

Souza

The

Reborn Lain
Owner:

Jakkalope

Age: 2 years, 2 weeks, 4 days

Born: May 8th, 2022

Adopted: 2 years, 2 weeks, 4 days ago

Adopted: May 8th, 2022

Nominate Pet for Spotlight

Statistics

Level: 11
Strength: 111
Defense: 99
Speed: 98
Health: 89
HP: 86/89
Intelligence: 1
Books Read: 1
Food Eaten: 0
Job: Unemployed

I. II. III.
credits

jumped out of fire and into frostbite
been drowning inside-out since before i woke
maybe god will let me die when my dreams go up in smoke.

An uchigatana forged by Saemonzaburo, the blade was first owned by Miyoshi Masanaga (known as Miyoshi Sousan as a priest, hence the name Souza), and later gifted to Takeda Nobutora. It was later presented as part of the dowry in the marriage between Nobutora's daughter and Imagawa Yoshimoto.

Imagawa Yoshimoto fell during the Battle of Okehazama, and the sword was taken by Oda Nobunaga. Nobunaga shortened the blade, and engraved into its tang:

永禄三年五月十九日・義元討補刻彼所持刀・織田尾張守信長

On the 19th day of the fifth month of Eiroku three, through the killing of Yoshimoto, this sword came into the possession of Oda Owari-no-kami Nobunaga

Following Nobunaga's death in the Honnō-ji Incident, the blade fell into the possession of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Following Hideyoshi's death, following a power struggle between Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the sword was taken by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Between Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu, the sword has the distinction of being owned by all three of the Unifiers of Japan. It was rarely used in combat, serving more as a trophy than a weapon.

It was badly burned in the Great Fire of Meireki, and required reforging. The blade survived, but the hamon (the pattern along the edge of its blade) was said to be vastly inferior to its original form.

僕は……かごの鳥と一緒ですよ。使われることもなく、ただ在ることだけを求められる……

I am... like a caged bird. I am not meant to be used, but rather to simply exist.

The Samonji brothers are all marked by their conflicted identities, and Souza is no exception. Thanks to his past as a trophy rather than a blade used in battle, he views himself as being akin to an ornamental caged bird. His polite speech and perpetual serene smile belie his somber attitude and pessimistic outlook, as he fears that his saniwa seeks only to possess him as a trophy as many of his masters in the past have done. Across all citadels, he struggles to escape the shadow of Oda Nobunaga and his feelings towards the man who seized him as a trophy and permanently disfigured him.

While he cares deeply for his brothers, he regards both the saniwa and many other swords -- especially Heshikiri Hasebe and Fudou Yukimitsu, both of whom were also in the possession of Nobunaga, but whose feelings on said man are incompatible with his own-- with a degree of aloof disdain.

As a touken danshi, he bears a mark over his heart to mirror the engraving in the tang of his blade.

僕はあなたの所に帰ってくるしかないんですよ.

I have no choice but to return to your side.

Even after embarking on a journey to try and face his feelings about Oda Nobunaga, the conclusion he reaches is that he cannot yet escape his former master's shadow, even while acknowledging that he was ultimately a man like any other. Rather than grow kinder towards his saniwa, he appears to be resigned to his fate as a sword in their possession.

based on/a tribute to souza samonji from touken ranbu.
profile coded and content written by Jakkalope
crash course on sword history paraphrased from a deranged rekijio friend (affectionate).
official art and character design by jiro suzuki, property of dmm.
photo of blade sourced from here.
bg photo sourced from unsplash.