Kasuga Ichiban

The main character from Yakuza 7.

Dragon Quest Man
A former Yakuza who got released from prison. Loves Dragon Quest too much.

Season 5
Hearing about a change to "grind to higher levels through repeated fighting", Ichiban doesn't think twice before joining The Final Rumble on the days he doesn't have to go to law school.

Episode 1

Fights an enemy commander and wins, but wonders why he wasn't a boss battle.

Episode 5

Participates in a fight of heroes and monsters, but none of them are recruited at the end of combat or drop rare items.

Episode 7

Ah, the classic fight against a hundred enemies but you only take control to defeat the few last ones!

Episode 9

Thinks that everyone in this match looks like they could join his party.

After the match, decides to talks to Serge since he looks like a hero, and they become fast friends.

Season 6
After the tragedy, Ichiban thinks that this must be the tragic backstory of some yet to emerge hero... although it definitely can't be Duke.

Episode 1

Tries to complete the obligatory tournament sidequest.

Episode 2

Fights for the "King of Jobbers" Belt equipment since he's missing something on that slot.

Episode 3

Can't participate in the match due to having to attend Law School, which he got in using a pseudonym.

Instead, his friend Serge fills the spot.

Episode 4

Asks Travis Touchdown if his Death Drive has any JRPGs, but thinks that he needs to do his Law Exam instead.

When an explosion goes off because of the rioters' assault, which damaged his eyes. He gets helped to follow the members of the locker room follow Delta to a safe area.

Episode 5

12 years in the future, after losing his vision, he adopted the looks of the person from his pseudonym and uses a similar equipment to see. He tried to go on several quest to defeat the demon lord and it's army, but most ended in different levels of failure. Serge also doesn't accompany him anymore...

Episode 7

Goes on the raid for personal matters, as Serge has become one of BANS associates.

When they arrive at Serge's Fort, he goes to "get back his corrupted party member". Meeting Dark Serge, he wonders how he became like this, after they went to karaoke, karting, golfing, to the bars, casinos, arcades... and one day just left his party.

Dark Serge, however, says that this body is just a pawn he's using to eventually overthrow BANS and get what's his. And he needs to be reminded.

As Ichiban begins fighting to get his friend back, JOKER sets fire to the building. After Ichiban wins, he drags Serge to the exit as he pleads to be left, and eventually thanks Ichiban. They also take the lost Koga too.

Episode 8
After returning, Ichiban and Central discuss their success as Serge is recovering, but with the Reservoir of Souls affecting him like that, they can only wonder if Yuki Makoto and Komaeda Nagito will be alright.

For his victory, Central gives him a title match shot.

Episode 10
During The Final Resistance's Christmas Party, Ichiban and Serge sing a different karaoke song that isn't Baka Mitai.

After the Troubleshooters onslaught begins, Ichiban, Serge and Central are gunning to the entrance and being closed on, when Central orders them to run for it as he will stay and face consequences for his sins.

The entrance still completely sealed, Pixy shows up to put down both of the resistance members for "turning on them". Before he can shoot them, Ichiban lunges at him and throws his gun away while Serge takes the offensive. He is defeated by Pixy's might, and he puts an end to both of them.

Episode 13

When Suou Tatsuya and Power arrive at Coolsville, they heard the sound of Joecoins falling into the floor, and find Ichiban in a dumpster. As he rages at being unable to save Serge, Tatsuya wonders how he survived, which Ichiban can't answer. Thinking this must be their "next step", he asks Ichiban to come with them.

Episode 14

Tatsuya's Party makes their way to Coolsville Arena as Power complains and bites Tatsuya's arm for not letting her buy snacks. It really is just like one of Ichiban's JRPG parties...

On the entrance, they meet the now Messiah-fied Yuki Makoto, who now claims to be the word of God, and that's why he needs the Summoning Key Tatsuya carries. Tatsuya throws at him that the "true" Makoto would never side for The Three Kings. Just as Dlanor A. Knox and Phoenix Wright? are summoned to Makoto's side, Tatsuya claims he will save Makoto. Tatsuya takes down "Wright" but he's put out of commision by Dlanor, Ichiban and Power finish the remaining two member of the Law Team.

Episode 15
Tatsuya, Power, and Ichiban now reunite with the rest of the resistance in what used to be the backstage. Talking about to do with new resistance leader Narukami Yu, Ichiban gives up his title shot to Aleph. While Aleph feels unsure about taking it from someone who he failed to help and was even "against", Ichiban acknowledges he was against the odds of the rest of the troubleshooters and didn't get his hands dirty, and thus Ichiban entrusts him with taking the belt home.

Oh, and also, Ichiban got the image of that one cool pose they did and uses it for the cover of their band! Tatsuya would have preferred Mr. America or Matador join him instead than suffering this...

As Koga gets everyone Corona brand beers, mi familia... Salud !

When Second Carlos defeats Pixy and he's about to pull something, Ichiban runs in with a sword and does a critical hit. However, Ichiban finds no "phoenix down" or any proof that Serge lived like him.

The clowns are set up against Tatsuya's Party, and Komaeda states that they plan to take the Summoning Key in this battle of hopes. Tricky is sent to collect clown farts to brainwash them. However, before the 3-on-4 fight can begin, Rando shows up, having steeled himself to do the right thing. This incurs the fury of the betrayed clowns, who destroy Tatsuya's team in the rage of battle.

As everyone's on the ground and the clowns move in to finish them, Kadoya's voice resonates within Tatsuya and encourages him to defy his destiny, and summoning a Kamen Rider Persona, he wills himself to stand up and protect everyone. Casting Deadly Burn on JOKER starts to burn away his mask, and the sheer force of his determination in his eyes is enough to scare even the clowns into fleeing. Clownmaeda stares at him and smiles, saying that he's glad he could embolden his hope, and walks away.

Episode 16
As Tatsuya and party move to catch the General Manager, he realizes he's actually Kojima instead of Hideo, and accompanied by him are Todd Howard, Black Battler and Chris-chan. As Tatsuya claims again that he doesn't have the Summoning Key, Serge takes Power again to get it. As they prepare to engage the "Divine Powers", temporary party member Agent 49 joins them for this fight.

The behemoths of Rando and Todd clash, but Rando ends up victorious. Ichiban takes out Chris-chan, but then Black Battler defeats both him and 49. Kojima turns into "Super Kojima" but for the sake of everyone's hope, Tatsuya doesn't falter and defeats him.

As Tatsuya thinks the battle is over and sends Ichiban to fetch Power, Kojima reiterates that nothing is over, and the Great Flood begins. And the rumors of Coolsville Skycity come true.

Kojima tells Tatsuya that the truth lies not in chaos or law, but inside the Cosmic Egg. 49 leaves now that he's done with faggler, and the party heads to their final destination.

Episode 17
The resistance heads inside the egg as well and splits up to put an end to both BANS and The Three Kings' plan.

As the party heads to the heart of the egg, Kojima promises the truth, but first they will face very special matches against their very own psyche.

Ichiban is put against Metal Pixy, but just like he already did, he overcomes it.

Rando faces against a metallic version of Master, but overcomes it.

Power, as a fiend, is unaffected, but instead Philip U. Butler shows up for her. She manages to defeat him despite her hate for veggies and fear of the army.

Kojima finally reveals himself: Mitake Toujirou states that he put them against who they wanted to fight the most... because this world and all it's inhabitants are his mere toys, such is his power as the father of rumors.

A flying city. A holy belt. It's not fake but the opposite, rumors have made such ideas into reality. Including his favorite rumore, the one that changed the very destiny of the world, that destroyed the script at the very beginning... .

With The Heart of Cosmic Egg upon them, Toujirou walks away and tells Tatsuya to "put on a show". Before that, a complex voice resonates and gives his guidance: Nyarlathotep gives power to the darkest of humanity's wishes. Such one is The Plan, and a such Men With a Plan believe it will create paradise on earth. But The Plan starts with nothing but the extinction of the human race, that if the "Oracle of LEON!" is fulfilled, it will grant a new ascended humanity, and thus they wished for the Holy Belt. Delta then explains that without him, he would have no chances of winning as his victory is assured, but with the very Summoning Key he holds, if humanity wills it, he would be trapped in it forever.

Tatsuya arrives to the place where the final battle for humanity will take place, to end it once and for all. After waiting twelve years, Toujirou is ready for the battle of his eternal life. Before the match, however, he uses his power to swipe the Summoning Key from Tatsuya "until the victor is decided". Thinking he really does have a way with booking matches, hee believes wrestling will flourish with the few remaining humans in this new world, a New World RumbleTM.

And thus, they shall have this world's Final Rumble.

At the end of the fight with Tatsuya's victory and his friends cheering him on, he is ready for it to end. Before that though, Nyarly has one last thing to do. He opens the briefcase he won and turns into "Butler"... and shoots power with the gun within. The "Job In Cutscene", "BCW", "Cope Island Gun" rumors combined make such wound impossible to survive, and Power vanishes fast.

"The undeniable truth of the world that some things cannot be changed!", is what he just teached Tatsuya, and the fury within him only fuels Nyarlathotep further.

Nyarlathotep just laughs, as his new world is about to be born, Tatsuya's time is up. To trust the crawling chaos to give the key back is truly within humanity's foolishness. With it, his plan will come at last... but...

Humanity's collective wishes make him drop the key and Tatsuya uses it to seal finish him, forever.

However, Delta shows up to explain... that all of the power of the key is used to keep Nyarlathotep sealed, and it cannot stop the birth of the Cosmic Egg any more. It was all for Delta's plan to stop him. Delta asks Tatsuya to wait for his friends to gather here.

The Key can't stop the new universe, but it can change it. The world the kings desire will be undone as long as he wills it. With small changes, eventually a domino effect will bring forth a way to stop the king's plan. The party promises to remember each other, and everyone wishes for something in this coming new world.

Tatsuya, however, questions why Delta never said any of this or took a more hands-on approach. From the start, Delta believed in his potential, his goal to get him into this current state of mind to bring forth the change into a new world. It was all part of his plan, starting from scratch but with the scenario set up to prevent the casualties that brought this broken world. A "happy ending". Tatsuya can't muster the words at being played with this entire time. Before it all ends, Delta gives Tatsuya one last choice.

Season 0
After being released from prison, Ichiban gets into wrestling, grinding up the card just in like his JRPGs.

Episode 2

While checking quests on part-timehero.com and rejecting "Need toilet paper. Coolsville Arena Bathroom.", "Deliver me one of Ja/ck/'s Bentos.", "DOOR STUCK! DOOR STUCK!" and "Beat up the guy who has been joking about me being under 6'0.", he suddenly finds a quest that catches his eye: I need a warrior to fight for my kingdom.

Making his way to "Sindria" (actually the Main Event arena, which is rightful Sindria territory), he meets up with the poster of the request, the great adventurer who has conquered the seven seas Sinbad. He needs to take care of a certain man who summons dragons, and needs a team of brave heroes to take him out. Fantasizing about his DQ games, Ichiban instantly accepts. But before he can begin that, Sinbad has to teach him on the policies of Sindria and his great adventures, or as how Ichiban hears it, the game manual and cheat codes.

Thus Kasuga Ichiban's Dragon Quest begins...

Episode 3

After acing his essays on Sinbad's adventures, they head to The Dragonlord's fortress (actually his company), and Ichiban can't wait to defeat the boss. Sinbad offers to take care of the underlings on the lower floors, which makes Ichiban go for a "speedrun", but Sinbad's advice about equipment misses him. Ichiban rushes into the Dragonlord's office, but before he can begin the fight, he gets shot.

Episode 4

After his less than spectacular fight against the dragonlord, Ichiban wakes up a week later in a trash dump, being woken up by a man named Jack whose objective is "killing Chaos". Jack, using his White Mage job, healed Ichiban after he saw him being a victim of Chaos, which got him to wake up. Ichiban sees Jack as another person who sees the world through his same lenses (read: schizo) and tries to recruit him, but suddenly Heavyweight and Charles show up, saying that him waking up yet wasn't part of their plans, and joining forces with Jack, Ichiban tries to defeat the Shimano enforcers.

He is promptly sent back to sleep.

Episode 5
The two dumpster heroes awaken once again after being put out another week, but now they will be wise and pack some sleep immunity. When making their way out, they have an encounter with The Police, who have tightened the security since Coolsville Hills' grand opening and decide to check on any suspicious individuals. Despite Ichiban's confidence on being empty, Officer Ooishi finds a strange bill in his pocket with a strange stain that Ichiban doesn't remember having, which Ooishi explains can only come from a very shady place. Asking for further questioning in his AC cooled car, Ichiban and Jack have to kindly reject his chaotic offer, but Ooishi has to call backup from his partner to serve justice.

Ichiban sees the fight through his Ichivision™ (aka schizophrenia) and sees his enemies as Onishi and Helios.

The might of the detectives proves too much and the heroes have to take a stroll to the nearby police station.

Episode 6

Back at the slammer again, although this time he's got company with Jack.

The cop that brought them here has a short conversation with a shady guy, but luckily Jack can read lips to ascertain that he is briefing him on the status of Chaos. Ichiban admires that he must've learned at the school in Oubanara and his stat gains, when suddenly the cop turns on a devilish smile, which must be Chaos making fun of them! Then, Sinbad enters and starts talking with the cop, certainly explaining where the root of Chaos comes from, Jack states it comes from Chaos (Ichiban doesn't quite get it and asks him to explain it to him later with a blackboard). The cop turns on a pissed expression, then smiles again and then Sinbad walks in their direction; Ichiban asks him how they plan to escape, but apparently it was all a misunderstanding and they are all cleared to leave. It's a good thing to have the king's charisma on their side!

Episode 7

Ichiban is grateful for having Sinbad pay their meal at McDonalds, which is the least he could do since he accepted his request, and Jack finally confirms his sandwich was NOT poisoned by Chaos. The three have a good time together (save for Sinbad's hamburger having pickles, in contradiction to his preference stated in his 3rd book). Eventually, Ichiban needs to take a leak, and on the bathroom spots the shady figure that was talking with the cop in the station, and remembers Jack's words: Be aware of Chaos lurking in the bathroom", and follows him through the back door.

The man appears behind him in the alley, and Ichiban asks what he was doing with the cop and if he ordered their arrest. However, he refuses to answer and asks him to take a step back, so Ichiban readies his fists. Through the calling of a (strictly non-canonical gameplay element) Poundmate, he manages to defeat the strange man. Sinbad and Jack arrive just as the fight ends, and the man decides to flee from the unfair situation. Moreso, Sinbad advises Ichiban and Jack not to pursue without planning, because that man is the right-hand man of the dragonlord, Seeker, a dynamic and magnificent enemy. Moreover, they'll need to be careful around the city now that they are known, especially with a face like Sinbad's.

Once they leave, a dimes figure silently approaches at a distance to them...

Episode 8

Before heading to their next objective, Ichiban, Jack and Sinbad plan their strategy at the Survive Bar as The Bartender provides them with some assistance. As I was saying... It starts with Chaos.

And then, once Chaos takes roots...

It spreads Chaos!

When Chaos is spread, it leads to Cha- Before Jack can finish explaining the deep relations of Chaos, Sinbad says it's time to leave, Ichiban making sure he worked his 5 minutes at Ichiban Holdings for the day. Suddenly, the ground starts rumbling like someone used an earth skill, and Jack is sure it must be Chaos' Final Rumble... but when they go outside, they realize it's something much, much worse: HEAVY MACHINERY.

Despite all of them against him, the towering mean machine was unmovable. Just then, a hero named Serge appears, and through his extremely long intro, HEAVY MACHINERY was put to sleep and then woke to go take a piss. Ichiban is ecstatic at meeting a silent JRPG hero that could so easily inflict sleep and begs him to go with them, and Sinbad says that he wanted to join the party!

When they head beyond the distraction, a dimes figure comments that with four of them, things are getting real interesting...

Episode 9

After an excellent karaoke performance by Serge, a mechanical roar resonates and The Dragonlord's servants arrive. His right-hand man Seeker will not have them escape again and has brought his lord's left-hand man, Jason, along with a prototype weapon of mass destruction to drive terror into their heart. The mere sight of him makes Ichiban tremble, but Serge's fearless expression invigorates him with confidence to face a fraction of KaibaCorp's full power.

Episode 10

After such a difficult battle, Ichiban & friends rest in a bowling bar (where Sinbad is adept at breaking pins too) when Ichiban witnesses an incredible display of skill, and the person responsible for it introduces himself as Okada Kazuchika "The Rainmaker". Okada has been scouting Ichiban and asks him to join his cause, but Hayashi Hiroshi comments on Okada's choice since he seems "far below The Dragon's level", when Jack calls them CHAOS and lunges at Okada only to be blocked by Heat O'Brien and Bob Utsunomiya. Ichiban is surprised Chaos is actually real and rejects their offer because he hates when party members leave, but Sinbad tells him to be careful since they are as formidable as KaibaCorp, and since he won't join them the easy way, Okada decides it's time to test Ichiban.

Okada gives credit to Ichiban for his potential as leader, and their team escapes. Sinbad tells Ichiban to calm down since pursuing them any further would be pushing their luck, but the remark makes Jack exclaim that they aren't taking Chaos as serious a threat as they are, and runs off to purse Chaos by himself. Ichiban tries to tell him to come back, but it's not use, and hopes he'll be back for the next boss battle...

Episode 11
Still waiting along with Serge for Jack to return, after he's done with his hourly calls Sinbad informs Ichi that they have a meeting to attend, but Ichiban if they can handle CHAOS and KaibaCorp without Jack.

Arriving at a fancy restaurant, Ichiban tries to order Peking duck before entering a room where Okada and Seeker were waiting for him. Okada talks about the current state of Coolsville and how after the president's assassination and closure of the biggest house of the entertainment district, the riots are intensifying and Coolsville is figuratively and literally in flames. Seeker continues that despite KaibaCorp's "ambitious" goals, the situation is overall detrimental meanwhile their complex relation to the ones pulling the strings, The Shimano Family, worsened since they kidnapped their lead scientist. All three have something against Shimano, but Ichiban remembers him being a big deal before he went to prison and doesn't have any direct business with him. Seeker asks them to sign a deal and join them, but after both reject it, Seeker calls out one of his new boys: Jack himself arrives pissed off at Chaos for refusing peace and brings his entire squad.

Sinbad signals Ichiban from the door, and Okada also follows, managing to escape the ambush. Sinbad knew KC wasn't trustworthy, but he's surprised that their very Jack was the leader of a legendary mercenary group and now works for The Dragonlord.

Okada again asks Ichiban to join CHAOS, but Ichiban instead asks him to join his party this time. Okada's gaze is lost for just a moment before Hayashi Hiroshi reminds him of his duty with CHAOS, and they leave. Before they get to leave, Hayashi stops him and makes sure he'll never get to join them.

Episode 12

Ichiban and his friends manage to escape the wrath of Evil Itself thanks to the opportune appearance of a detective who manages to handcuff him from behind. Back at Survive Bar, Ichiban and Serge await until Sinbad returns who left to visit Sindria, and once together decide to head to KaibaCorp HQ to end everything once and for all.

With all his equipment ready, the three arrive at KaibaCorp's entrance with only little trouble, only to notice the area had been taken over by CHAOS. Okada, Heat and Bob challenge Ichiban, while Hayashi is busy running away from the police (...seriously, Date?), and Ichiban faces off against CHAOS once again. However, they are too fierce this time.

Okada recognizes Ichiban's formidableness, and he likewise praises him, but by fighting in front of KC, Okada's plan is realized when they attract their attention and Jack appears with his squad to block the entrance. Okada is prepared this time, and joins Ichiban's party now that their goal are aligned and he has tested Ichiban enough.

Before he challenges Jack, Okada holds their position so Ichiban can complete all the substories.

Episode 13

After losing a bunch at Dragon Kart, Ichiban returns to the entrance to KC HQ where Jack's team continues to stand guard until they make their move. Now that Ichiban's back and the teams are balanced, the party makes their move, and Jack reveals his squad members: Depp, Bathhouse Owner and Hopper. The party is easily wiped out by such legendary mercenaries, and Jack is left but no choice but reveal why he left Ichiban; he's not only sided himself with Chaos, but with a mass murderer who enacted a death game and led the world to ruin along with anyone who rejected his lead. These memories within him are what are telling him he must stop Chaos, no, KILL Chaos. Neither Sinbad nor Ichiban have heard of anything like it, and the only thinkg Okada can muster is that... he got it all wrong, his group is CHAOS, not Chaos. Upon learning of such revelations, he apologizes to Ichiban for the misunderstanding, and him and his squad leave.

Episode 14
Remembering to equip his substory-obtained armor, Ichiban's group charges on into KaibaCorp HQ. Seeker warns them that he was lucky to escape alive the first time, but Ichiban then notices the place looks exactly the same, which Seeker admits is because their chief engineer is gone, but they still managed to produce enough models to take over the world. Jason ambushes the party with two brand new Robo-Kiryu models, but before the situation turns hopeless, Jack make his return; while he was gone, he came to understand what Chaos' nature truly was, something that destroys friendships, and because of that they need to take down Chaos together... even Okada too.

As Ichiban has something to settle with the Dragonlord, his party takes on the threat while he stays in the backguard in a support role. After (half of) the group beats their asses, Ichiban finds the key to the main office, but they feel the entire rest of the production line coming for them. Before they have a chance to stop them, Okada's CHAOS' allies show up to back him up, and Evil Itself admits that even if he may not be as powerful as Kiryu, Ichiban really can be a Dragon too after all. However, the robot army arrives and still far outnumbers them... but the person who has witnessed Ichiban's adventure from the start arrives: The Bartender, who brings along three mercenaries who were having a drink at his bar: Depp, Hopper and Bathhouse Owner. With so many people helping them, the party ventures further into the Dragonlord's lair.

What they find, instead, is an empty office. Sinbad moves away from the party and congratulates Ichiban, because the Dragonlord has been slain... many weeks ago, in fact, all thanks to Ichiban drawing his attention, as Sinbad infiltrated while they were disposing of his body and headcranked his neck. Sinbad became CEO of the soon-to-be completely merged with Sindria Trading Co. KaibaCorp, and Ichiban getting thrown into a dumpster instead of a hospital was also all arranged by him. But why would someone do that to the very knight he hired asked Ichiban, and the answer is... he's not even really sure himself. Kasuga can't take the betrayal trope anymore, and even if Sinbad tells him to control his emotions, he can't take someone betraying his quest like that, so Sinbad arranges a deal: defeat him and he'll get his quest reward, lose and... he'll see.

But a hero never stops fighting, even if he has to overcome the unexpected. So even if he's not good enough to defeat the legendary ruler of the seven seas, he can give his all in one last attack in his final turn, leaving both on their knees. Suddenly an opportunistic old man enters and shoots at one of them, but Serge takes the blow as he says "I've been waiting for this" and Sinbad tries to congratulate him, but another blast was more than he expected and blows him away. This man, Tengan Kazuo, was the reason Sinbad put on such a show on the first place and attacked Ichiban to lure out; this man was the person pushing KaibaCorp as its real chairman towards the path of world domination, his goal to make KaibaCorp so abominable to create the greatest despair, which would birth the greatest hope.

However, what he hadn't realized is that he lost the moment Serge drew him out from the shadows and made him visible on-screen; Sinbad's plan B activates and Sakakura Juzo lands over the chairman while on top of 20 or so piles of ladders. Sinbad thanks him for accomplishing the favor he owed him, and Juzo leaves thanking Sinbad instead for welcoming Yu into their country now that Chuck's closed. Ichiban is still confused, but now that its all over Jack and the rest go give the Karaoke machine a rematch, leaving Ichiban behind as he keeps asking questions...

Now that it's in postgame, the party relaxes at the Survive Bar. Ichiban plays modern FF games with Jack, who explains the action gameplay makes it faster to kill Chaos. Serge puts his great voice to work on the karaoke, and Sinbad has gathered new stories from this adventure. Okada smirks at Ichiban being the same, and hopes he can spar with CHAOS in the future as well, but Ichiban remembers he can't... because he has to defeat that fat plumber in Dragon Kart!

Season 7
Was busy studying at law school.

Trivia

 * His intro is pure DIMES


 * Continued to fight the Chosen Hunter like a retard while Janny recovered, allowing Janny to eliminate both and win the rumble entirely.
 * DUDE JRPGS LMAO