Toki no Kizuna: Sekigahara Kitan (十鬼の絆 関ヶ原奇譚 Bond of Ten Demons) is a visual novel for the PlayStation Portable developed by Otomate and published by Idea Factory and can be considered a prequel to Hakuōki. It was released in Japan in 2012. It follows an Oni girl named Yukina Suzumori who is the head of the Suzumori Oni clan and the servant guardian of Yase-Hime, the head of the council of the ten Oni Clans. In English it is known as part of Shall We Date? series with the name Shall we date?: Demons’ Bond －The path of exile－.
Summary
"It’s a year after Toyotomi Hideyoshi died (1599), and the human world is once more falling into war. The head of the ten oni clans, Yase-hime, becomes worried about the future of the oni people. She travels to each of the ten clans, now scattered across the land, and asks them to retreat from human contact. On the night that they obey her and all gather in the Yase village, she’s kidnapped and put into a deep sleep. The oni heroine, Suzumori Yukina, is the head of the Suzumori household and was also strong enough to be the ninja guardian of Yase-hime. She’s serious and respects the old ways, and has a hawk companion. Throughout the game, she must decide whether to look for a cure for her princess Yase-hime in the human world, in spite of Yase-hime’s request not to deal with humans."
Characters
Yukina Suzumori
Yukina Suzumori is a female Oni and is the main heroine. She is the head of the Suzumori household which is part of the Council of the ten Oni Clans ruled by Yase-Hime who is like her sister. She has black hair and red eyes. She was raised by three demon leaders namely Shiomi Akito, Kotoura Touma, Tsukishima Isao after the death of the last Suzumori leader clan. She is very strict and serious. She controls a hawk named Ginou.
Chitose Kazama
Kazama Chitose is a part of the Ten-Demon Alliance and is referred to as the Demon Chieftain of the Nine Provinces of the Western Seas. He has light brown hair that is cut short, red eyes, and pale complexion.
Chitose encounters Yukina when he attacks her with another Oni called Kazuya. He tells her that she is a terrible swordsman and often makes fun of her. He is very good friends with a human called Tomohisa Shimazu.
Chitose is the most upbeat of all the characters. His easygoing personality makes him popular with other demons. He is a touch arrogant, and a little praise often gets to his head. He has a highly expressive attractive face and one is never bored in his company.
Kazuya Yukimura
Kazuya Yukimura is a member of the Ten-Demon Alliance and the Demon Chieftain of Mutsu's Six Districts. He has a very quiet and serious nature and he is the most composed of the characters. He has black hair that is short, amethyst eyes, and pale complexion. While Kazuya's aloofness keeps people at far, he is respected by other chieftains and demon villagers. He seldom communicates his emotions and will first give you the cold shoulder, but this makes his grins all the more rewarding.
Kazuya used to serve Tokugawa Ieyasu for a while until he got disappointed because the latter was not the man he used to be. Now Kazuya is in the council as a member of the Yukimura Clan.
Kazutake
Kazutake is a member of the Ten-Demon Alliance and goes by the name Wayfarer. He is also a member of the council who works for a human called Ishida Mitsunari to be able to acquire some land for the Amagiri clan that he originates from. He fights with his fists and has a policy of not hitting women and children, treating ladies with gentleness. He has light complexion, green-colored eyes, and short chocolate-brown hair.
Among all the characters that are selectable, Kazutake is the most dependable. He is the alliance's eldest chieftain and, by nature, keeps the peace, acting as a big brother. He is so flawless that one may feel cut off from him at times, yet only you see his unique side.
Shin Shiranui
Shin Shiranui is a demon known as the Living God of the Western Provinces, and he is also a member of the Ten-Demon Alliance. Shin has pale complexion, amber-colored eyes, and long, dark pink hair that is pulled back into a high ponytail.
The Shiranui clan is highly respected by humans and worshipped much more than any other demon family. Of all the characters, Shin is percieved to be the most refined, elegant and stylish. Despite his polished look, he is rather direct while interacting with others and enjoys giving sharp jabs, so it might not be easy to tell whether he is being honest. Along the way with him, you will see the sincerity in his eyes, even if at first you might believe he is simply making jokes, and he will also prove to be gentle with the one he cares about.
Senkimaru
Senkimaru is a demon and the head of the Hatsushimo Clan who wishes to rejoin the Ten-Demon Alliance. Because of the misdeeds committed by his forebears centuries ago, his clan was exiled from the Alliance. He had shoulder-length white hair, turquoise eyes, and light complexion.
Senkimaru is considered to be the most mysterious and intriguing of all the characters of the game due to his background and behavior. He has a sharp tongue and he often looks down on others, however, he genuinely cares about his friends and stays loyal to them regardless of the situation, never forsaking his companions even if he is betrayed. Living a life of agony as the leader of the "banished demons" makes him more compassionate and understanding of other people's pain.
Kazuhahime
Kazuhahime is the head of the Council of the Oni clans and has the ability to have visions of the future. She sees Yukina as her little sister. After seeing a vision, she assembles the council and warns them not to affiliate with humans anymore as a terrible war was about to start which was the Sekigahara War. Following the meeting, she gets attacked by a hooded figure who poisons her, making her succumb to a coma.
Trivia
- The font used in the English logo for Toki no Kizuna is:
- Demons' Bond: ITC Viner Hand by John Viner
- －The path of exile－: UNKOWN