(no subject)
You know that one character who seems well-adjusted and stable in a cast full of people with issues and then it's suddenly explosion of issues?
Alternatively, you know that one villain who could give the heroes a run for their money in sheer determination, except he's using said determination to try and kill them?
Yeah, Ryuuichi is that character(s).
The first impression that the reader has of Ryuuichi is that, in spite of his young age, he's the serious and dutiful type, always ready to report for duty. He's stoic and not too easily fazed by certain scenes (notably, while the other government workers are ill at the sight/smell of their cannibalistic superior having his 'meal', Ryuuichi doesn't seem bothered at all). That's not to say that he can't be disturbed, but regardless, Ryuuichi always focuses on what needs to be done and isn't easily intimidated, even when his aforementioned violent cannibal of a superior has his claws out and is gripping onto Ryuuichi's (now torn) shirt.
Along those lines, Ryuuichi appears to be the model soldier. While perhaps a bit blunt and, occasionally, subtly cheeky, he is generally obedient and respectful, if not overly so. He addresses his superiors accordingly (to their face, at least), even when the situation no longer applies and he's been explicitly told to drop the formalities. Old habits die hard, and Ryuuichi apparently isn't comfortable with talking to those above him with any less respect than he thinks they deserve.
—That's Ryuuichi around his coworkers. Ryuuichi around his enemies is a very different person.
Ryuuichi is nothing if not very zealous in his attempts to destroy the opposition. He isn't necessarily violent or psychotic; he's someone who believes in something very strongly and is willing to fight to the death for it. Gone is the previous stoic, young man, and in his place is a loud, emotional kid who wears his heart on his sleeve. The thing about Ryuuichi is that the final battle is very personal to him, as a part of him utterly hates the heroes with a burning passion. Firstly, they killed Uzuki—a coworker of his whom he cared for greatly (if he wasn't outright in love with her). Secondly, one of them is a past superior of his who betrayed them for the heroes, and so Ryuuichi is heavily bitter over said betrayal. Altogether, it leads to Ryuuichi being a messed up ball of rage throughout the finale as he tries to kill the heroes, with him being all too eager to tell them exactly why he wants them dead so badly.
(There's a reason why one character essentially calls him a teenager going through puberty.)
And so, as befitting of his occupation as a member of the 'hunter' squad, Ryuuichi is like a predator who's set his sights on his prey. He is willing to chase the heroes everywhere throughout the final battle, going as far as to climb through vents just to attack them when they're in the elevator. He's a cockroach who won't give up, no matter how bruised and battered he gets through his attempts. Ken has to fight him until the point where they're both too exhausted to fire another round, and even then, Ryuuichi would rather die than let it end in a draw:
"... Where are you going...!? If you can't fire, then beat me to death...! If you won't... then I'll kill you all!"
Yes, he seriously told his enemy to beat him to death and would've honestly preferred that over being spared, which he seems to take as something of an insult. As Ken notes, Ryuuichi has always been unafraid to die. Instead, he focuses only on his objective with an unwavering will—again, to the point of being near suicidal like this.
A large part of it, however, has to do with the fact that Ryuuichi seems to utterly abhor traitors. Again, he heavily resents Ken for having betrayed the government—for having betrayed his subordinates such as Ryuuichi himself. More than anything, though, this is related to his conflict regarding the aforementioned Uzuki and the matter of his loyalty towards her.
Something to note about the government is that, what with its head being a dictator who brutally experimented on all the tekigousha to make them what they are, it's unthinkable for anyone to genuinely be devoted to her—especially with the sort of passion Ryuuichi exudes. You'd have to have been brainwashed, or so the assumption goes. And see, that's exactly what Uzuki was: brainwashed into loyalty towards the governor, Kuroyuki. Ryuuichi is initially assumed to be as well by some of the heroes, before he negates such a statement. He's far from loyal to Kuroyuki—in fact, he basically calls her a wench (though not to her face). However, he is loyal to Uzuki, despite her being dead by this point.
And that's what forms the root of Ryuuichi's major issues. He knew about Uzuki's brainwashing, and since there was nothing that could be done about it, he did the next best thing: he swore he wouldn't let her be alone. He would never betray her. And to Ryuuichi, that means following in her footsteps, doing what she believed in. If that means serving a dictatorship? Then so be it, if that's what Uzuki would've done. Ryuuichi is well aware that he's a villain here, as a soldier of the government, but he refuses to go against it because that would mean betraying (the late) Uzuki.
That said, you can probably imagine the problems that arise from being devoted to a dead girl. Ryuuichi is on a path where he can never find closure, save for fighting until he dies. He's miserable, trying to solve his misery in all the wrong ways, and lashing out against people who, deep in his heart, he knows probably don't really deserve it. Souji attempts to give him some of his desperately needed closure by telling him that Uzuki seemed content in her last moments (dying with her delusions), and Souichi tries to tell him that he's just being a messed up idiot—perhaps they helped. Perhaps they didn't. It's hard to say for sure, as Ryuuichi is still a bit of a wreck in the epilogue. He seems to have had a change of heart, now helping to rebuild the fallen Tokyo (with his usual sort of excessive devotion, feeling guilty for his role in everything), but it's clear that he hasn't quite gotten over everything.
He's getting there, though.
Alternatively, you know that one villain who could give the heroes a run for their money in sheer determination, except he's using said determination to try and kill them?
Yeah, Ryuuichi is that character(s).
The first impression that the reader has of Ryuuichi is that, in spite of his young age, he's the serious and dutiful type, always ready to report for duty. He's stoic and not too easily fazed by certain scenes (notably, while the other government workers are ill at the sight/smell of their cannibalistic superior having his 'meal', Ryuuichi doesn't seem bothered at all). That's not to say that he can't be disturbed, but regardless, Ryuuichi always focuses on what needs to be done and isn't easily intimidated, even when his aforementioned violent cannibal of a superior has his claws out and is gripping onto Ryuuichi's (now torn) shirt.
Along those lines, Ryuuichi appears to be the model soldier. While perhaps a bit blunt and, occasionally, subtly cheeky, he is generally obedient and respectful, if not overly so. He addresses his superiors accordingly (to their face, at least), even when the situation no longer applies and he's been explicitly told to drop the formalities. Old habits die hard, and Ryuuichi apparently isn't comfortable with talking to those above him with any less respect than he thinks they deserve.
—That's Ryuuichi around his coworkers. Ryuuichi around his enemies is a very different person.
Ryuuichi is nothing if not very zealous in his attempts to destroy the opposition. He isn't necessarily violent or psychotic; he's someone who believes in something very strongly and is willing to fight to the death for it. Gone is the previous stoic, young man, and in his place is a loud, emotional kid who wears his heart on his sleeve. The thing about Ryuuichi is that the final battle is very personal to him, as a part of him utterly hates the heroes with a burning passion. Firstly, they killed Uzuki—a coworker of his whom he cared for greatly (if he wasn't outright in love with her). Secondly, one of them is a past superior of his who betrayed them for the heroes, and so Ryuuichi is heavily bitter over said betrayal. Altogether, it leads to Ryuuichi being a messed up ball of rage throughout the finale as he tries to kill the heroes, with him being all too eager to tell them exactly why he wants them dead so badly.
(There's a reason why one character essentially calls him a teenager going through puberty.)
And so, as befitting of his occupation as a member of the 'hunter' squad, Ryuuichi is like a predator who's set his sights on his prey. He is willing to chase the heroes everywhere throughout the final battle, going as far as to climb through vents just to attack them when they're in the elevator. He's a cockroach who won't give up, no matter how bruised and battered he gets through his attempts. Ken has to fight him until the point where they're both too exhausted to fire another round, and even then, Ryuuichi would rather die than let it end in a draw:
Yes, he seriously told his enemy to beat him to death and would've honestly preferred that over being spared, which he seems to take as something of an insult. As Ken notes, Ryuuichi has always been unafraid to die. Instead, he focuses only on his objective with an unwavering will—again, to the point of being near suicidal like this.
A large part of it, however, has to do with the fact that Ryuuichi seems to utterly abhor traitors. Again, he heavily resents Ken for having betrayed the government—for having betrayed his subordinates such as Ryuuichi himself. More than anything, though, this is related to his conflict regarding the aforementioned Uzuki and the matter of his loyalty towards her.
Something to note about the government is that, what with its head being a dictator who brutally experimented on all the tekigousha to make them what they are, it's unthinkable for anyone to genuinely be devoted to her—especially with the sort of passion Ryuuichi exudes. You'd have to have been brainwashed, or so the assumption goes. And see, that's exactly what Uzuki was: brainwashed into loyalty towards the governor, Kuroyuki. Ryuuichi is initially assumed to be as well by some of the heroes, before he negates such a statement. He's far from loyal to Kuroyuki—in fact, he basically calls her a wench (though not to her face). However, he is loyal to Uzuki, despite her being dead by this point.
And that's what forms the root of Ryuuichi's major issues. He knew about Uzuki's brainwashing, and since there was nothing that could be done about it, he did the next best thing: he swore he wouldn't let her be alone. He would never betray her. And to Ryuuichi, that means following in her footsteps, doing what she believed in. If that means serving a dictatorship? Then so be it, if that's what Uzuki would've done. Ryuuichi is well aware that he's a villain here, as a soldier of the government, but he refuses to go against it because that would mean betraying (the late) Uzuki.
That said, you can probably imagine the problems that arise from being devoted to a dead girl. Ryuuichi is on a path where he can never find closure, save for fighting until he dies. He's miserable, trying to solve his misery in all the wrong ways, and lashing out against people who, deep in his heart, he knows probably don't really deserve it. Souji attempts to give him some of his desperately needed closure by telling him that Uzuki seemed content in her last moments (dying with her delusions), and Souichi tries to tell him that he's just being a messed up idiot—perhaps they helped. Perhaps they didn't. It's hard to say for sure, as Ryuuichi is still a bit of a wreck in the epilogue. He seems to have had a change of heart, now helping to rebuild the fallen Tokyo (with his usual sort of excessive devotion, feeling guilty for his role in everything), but it's clear that he hasn't quite gotten over everything.
He's getting there, though.
