Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV (DxD: Nocturne)

"Just because he's a demon doesn't make him a bad person. If you had lived through the life he lived, you'd understand why he chose to abandon his humanity."

- Raidou Kuzunoha Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV, or simply Raidou Kuzunoha, is the protagonist of the game series, "Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner," specifically The Soulless King and King Abaddon. He is also a major character in the story, "DxD: Nocturne," having been a comrade to Shin Musegi during his journey in the Vortex World. He appears during the Excalibur Arc, having accepted a task from the Herald of Yatagarasu to find a powerful demon residing in the DxD World. After the Peace Conference, he joins the Nocturne Team, which was founded to eliminate Rizevim Livan Lucifer.

Raidou is a talented Devil Summoner, being the latest to inherit the name of Raidou Kuzunoha, and is highly regarded by Lucifer as the spark needed to ignite the final battle. He is considered to be a representative of the human world. It is also stated, by Shin's volition, that Raidou is one of the few who can match him measure for measure, despite his limitations as a human being.

His main theme is "Strength," performed by Abingdon School Boys. According to the author of the story, the song is in reference to Raidou's constant challenges, and overcoming them at every turn.

Design
Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV wears the uniform of Yumizuki High, with fine pointed dress shoes, a school cap, and a long black cloak with purple inner lining.

He wields a katana on his side, which is very noticeable underneath his cloak, along with a revolver strapped to his right hip. The summoning tubes, or Kuda, used to call forth and store his demons are slotted into white, bandolier-like pockets strapped to his chest.

He has sharp, grey eyes, black hair, and fair, yet pale skin. The edges of his hair also form into very sharp sideburns, and many characters comment on the ferocity of them. The hair underneath his hat, however, is unknown.

Personality
Though usually silent and soft-spoken, Raidou is a very laid-back and outgoing person, and comes off as rather friendly towards others, and appreciates a challenge. That said, he takes his work as a Devil Summoner, and a detective, very seriously. Regardless of what world he is in, he helps people whenever he can, regardless of the task ahead. According to Shin, during their encounter in the Vortex World, Raidou was jovial, if not friendly, despite being enemies at a few points in time.

During his time in the world of DxD, Raidou is somewhat left clueless in the current time period, and is virtually left dumbfounded by the current terms, but stands amazed in the technological advancements, making it a point to bring a souvenir for everyone back home. Regarding the supernatural world, Raidou is content with the times of peace, and much like Shin, prefers to live in quiet times. However, when individuals like Kokabiel or the Khaos Brigade make themselves known, he is not one to sit idly by while others do the fighting.

In battle, he is very reliable, and trusts his comrades, albeit with reservations. As a Devil Summoner, he has earned the loyalty of many demons, a few of which have come to admire him, or remain completely loyal to him. Some of the more affectionate demons, like Lilim, have habits of fantasizing about him.

History
Raidou Kuzunoha was born into one of the many worlds of the Amala Universe, and strangely, his was not apart of the cycle of creation and rebirth, thus his was one of the rare few to be spared from the Conception.

Much of Raidou's history is unknown, other than that he was an exceptionally talented individual, enough so that he began to train in the arts of demon summoning, and would eventually take up the name of Raidou Kuzunoha, thus becoming the fourteenth person to inherit the title. As the inheritor of his clan's name, it is his duty to protect the Capital from the demons of the Dark Realm, and ensure that the supernatural world is kept in check. His abilities with a katana are without equal, and his skill with a pistol is unmatched, but Raidou's true power comes from the demons tucked away in confinement tubes beneath his cape.

At some point in time, the old gentleman in the wheelchair had arrived in his world, under the guise of a young man by the name of Louise Cyphre, and had come to ask him for aid many times, recognizing him as a "spark." Eventually, he met with Raidou in the appearance that Shin had had encountered before in the Vortex World, and asked him to complete the task of eliminating a demon known as the "Demi-fiend," and retrieve the object it had stolen. In truth, the old man wished for Raidou to test Shin, in order to facilitate the birth of a new demon of darkness, one that would shift the balance of the war to come.

After their first encounter, Raidou immediately recognized that Shin was not an ordinary demon, and held traces of humanity. Curious about his employers motives, Raidou investigated the Labyrinth of Amala, where he would again come to battle with Shin. During his journey, he would uncover the truth behind the old man's reasons for employing him, and afterwards, gave his Candelabrum over to Shin, commenting that he would most likely need it for what was going to happen. Afterwards, he returned to his home world, though he strangely still received payment for the job.

Arrival of the Demi-fiend
Though not making an appearance, Raidou is mentioned by Pixie during the events of the Rating Game, commenting that Issei, despite his perversity, reminds her greatly of the "strange human" they met back in the Vortex World. Metatron comments on this further, remarking that Issei held all the traits to become an excellent Devil Summoner.