Hyakurin

百淋

A female assassin and a lieutenant in the Mugai-ryū. Hyakurin was married to Hayakawa Kakōsai Genkei, an abusive samurai obsessed with gaining fame by training their sickly son, Matsuhiko, to become a strong swordsman. She later kills her husband to avenge her son's death at his father's hands, after which she is arrested and sentenced to death. Her case comes to the attention of Kagimura, who subsequently recruits her into the Mugai-ryū. Hyakurin's most unusual physical trait is her blonde hair, which she frequently conceals under a wig; she maintains this color by bleaching it with a strong chemical, driven by a compulsive desire to remove bloodstains. While her sword skills are unremarkable, she possesses extensive knowledge of poisons. This expertise influences her choice of weaponry: a collapsible wrist-mounted crossbow named Burafuma (Little Steps), which fires poisoned bolts. The crossbow also features two blades, allowing Hyakurin to stab opponents when the weapon is collapsed. After volume 11, Beasts, her skills are impeded following a broken arm. She later becomes pregnant and ends up "retired" from the Mugai-ryū due to a deal between Habaki and Giichi when Giichi earns his freedom. She has no desire to keep the child, believing it will remind her of Shinriji's death and the faces of the Ittō-ryū men who raped her. She first appears in Dark Shadows part 1.