Isao Shirabi

Template:Character

"I still respect life. Thus i am saving you from the misery that is agony."
—Isao in the manga Chapter 49

Isao Shīrabi is the King of Spades in the borderlands.

Appearance

Isao equipement during the 2nde stage

Isao is tall old man with a bald head. Because of his age he has many wrinkles on his face. During the second stage in Borderlands he wear a compete gear of a soldier with a bullet proof vest and a fire-proof mantle.

Personality

Isao is a cold person who considers that to live is to suffer and repent. He believes that salvation only exists in death. As a soldier he considers agony the most terrible thing. He takes no pleasure in killing people but he does it so he can free them from the despair of the Borderlands. He believes in the circle of rebirth and thinks that there's no sadder thing to break it to someone. That's the reason he give a burial to all the corps he found, even to the unknowns. Because of the wars he fought and the death of his friend Apache, he suffers of PTSD

History

Before Borderland

Isao was a very competent mercenary. One day while he was on vacation in Tokyo he received a call from another mercenary: Apache. Isao asked him how the liberation army is. Apache explained that because of the rain, they're not fighting and asked how Tokyo is. Isao answered that's an unpleasant city and that looking at all the leisurely people makes him wonder who he is and that perhaps is only meant to live on the battlefield. Apache announced him that his owner want's him for his next job and that he'll shelled out a million swiss francs for him but Isao declined the offer. Because of the information he got he knows that Apache's side is losing and that mercenaries are going to be used and if they're not killed thrown away. Apache complimented him by saying that as usual he is prudent and he is his friend of war. Isao asked him he will trade life for money. He also said that he is not he's not his friend. They’re business rival. Next time they met they might be enemies and even if they're on the same side one will use the other as a shield to make out a bigger pay. For mercenaires,friends do not exist.

Isao on the battlefield

But finally, Isao accepted the job. While they were on the battlefield, Isao asked to Apache where was there front line, Apache said they it was all split up and they were completely isolated. He confirmed what Isao said: they were just thrown away like sacrificial pawns. Again he call Isao his friend in war and said that he was an idiot too because the only reason he took the job was to shut him up. But Isao replied that he took it because of the price. He concealed to get back to the point but before he could finish his sentence, he and Apache got shot. They succeeded to get away but Apache was greatly wounded. While Isao was holding him and trying to get away, Apache said that he had done enough and should let him behind because he couldn't survive to his wounds and he should focus on his chance of survival. While they were resting, Apache asked him if he would get mad if he calls him friend of war because they will no longer be people who sell their lives for money. Isao answered yes because he needs to meet him on another battlefield. Apache asked finally one last thing: kill him with his own hands. When he saw Isao surprise, he explains that because he is not going to make it he shouldn’t extended the period of pain. Isao asked if he can say no but Apache called him again friend in war, begged him because it's more than death and to save him from this agony. Isao asked him if this is salvation, with Apache confirmed him. Finaly Isao accepte and killed Apache.

Borderland

Borderland: As player

First stage

Kyuma and Isao doing radio calisthenics.

Isao arrived in the Borderlands two days before Kyūma. At his fourth day of sojourn in the Borderland, while he was doing radio calisthenics he met Ginji Kyūma. Felling nostalgic Kyūma joined him. A short time after he met Keiichi Kuzuryū and Mira Kanō. One day, while he was giving burial to someone he didn't knew, Mira asked him why he was doing that. Isao explained that humans don't want to die atop some asphalt and that they'll decomposed by predators, and there's no sadder thing. Mira answered that in that case she'll plant a seed and water it every morning to enjoy its growth. Each morning they were meeting up at the same place to do radio calisthenics and to talk. During that time, every time Isao found a dead body, he buried him a made him a prayer. One day Kyūma explained to Isao that the day before he played a game where there were a limit if who could clear it and because of that someone died because of him. Isao answer that by existing, humans have sinned and that to live they must suffer and repent and that in Borderland where they must kill to survive, more people are just coming to that realization. He assumed that perhaps salvation only exists in death. Kyūma answered by saying that he don't feel that the purpose of life is death but the opposite. Death must be feared but not looked away. It's not the final goal. Death is here to make the living boil. Isao said that he is a weird man.

Second stage

Kyūma,Mira,Isao and Keiichi on their way to the last game.

The second stage started at his 87th day of sojourn. The 2nd day of the next stage Kyūma asked witch head they beat. Isao answered that he beat the king of Spades. After the announce that there is only one face card game remaining Kyūma proposed that as a celebration they participate together for the first time to the last game. When Mira asked what they would answer if they had the opportunity to became citizen of Borderland, After Kyūma answered to her question, Isao asked what it means if you don't take permanent residence. Mira answered that it is unknown, perhaps you might return to the old world, or perhaps you might get exterminated on the spot but that even he didn't became a citizen the successor wouldn't be up to snuff because curious people like Kyūma are abundant. Isao said that it's sound like a helpless situation and if someone must stay on the battlefield he will shoulder the burden of slaughter and saved the coming people from suffering as early as possible. The group finally takes the directions of the last game: King of Hearts.

Borderland: As citizen

First stage

Isao during the conference.

After the ten of Hearts was completed and that the players reunited all the card games, Kyūma,Mira,Isao and Keiichi made a press conference to the players to announce them the beginning of the second stage. When it was his turn to speak, Isao said that this is necessary to eliminate all regrets. Those who seeked self-interest, birthed regret from agony and remorse.

Second stage

Isao shooting with his sniper.

At the beginning of the second stage, Isao start moving around the city. He settled on the top of a building where he start to shoot on Arisu group's with his sniper. He killed a few member of the group before they could get into the car and ran away.

After they left he began to move in the city to locate big groups of players and kill them.

At the third day of the second stage, he attacked the camp where Yūji Mahiru and Kameyama Kaito were to have the answer about the Borderlands. He shot on the girls who have it before she could reveal to them. Mahiru ran away but Kaito stayed. After the fighting he walked to Kaito who was saying his last worlds to his video camera and shot him in the head.

Isao killing everyone.

Isao attacking from the air.

At the fifth day of the second stage, he made a surprised attacked by the air with his blimp to a group a player who barricaded themself into a building. Even if they had the number, with his skills in point shooting , his gears and his GPS which indicate the positions of all players; he easily killed all the players. One last girl begged for her life and asked him how he can be so cruel. Isao explained him that he don't take pleasure in killing, he only do it to free the players from the despairs of the Borderlands. He found that Hayato Dōdō has escaped and tried to shoot on him a blow of winds prevented him. He said that Dōdō has bad luck.

Aguni and Isao confrontation.

After that, Isao start to hunt the remaining players who abandoned the pursuit of the games to hide from him. He finally found Dodo who had been joined by Morizono Aguni and surrounded their camp with wire traps and smoke bomb. Isao made drop a flame thrower from his blimp and start to surround their camp with fire. But Aguni and Dodo escaped with a tunnel. While they were thinking they were safe for a moment, Isao, with his GPS, took them by surprise and to shoot on them. Aguni and Dodo counter attack. Isao guessed that they'll probably cover each other while backing up. He decided to wait that it was Dodo who was shooting to counter attack. But to Isao big surprised Aguni ran to him with Dodo's weapon and understand that Aguni too want to accelerate the fight. They have an exchange of shot. Isao hit Aguni's arm and Aguni hit Isao' torso but he was protected by his bullet proof vest. Then, Aguni pushed him in the fire but because of his fire-proof mantle he didn't get burned. He decided to retire for now.

Heiya's arrow hiting Isao's GPS

He followed the trace of Dodo who had run away. He found him with Akane Heiya and start to shoot on them. Heiya counter attack with a handmade flash bang so they could run away but Isao protected his eyes with his mantle. Dodo finally understood that Isao must have a way to locate all the players and threw another flash bang so that Heiya could shot an arrow on his GPS while he was protecting his eyes. The arrow hit the GPS and Dodo and Heiya could run away. Isao asked himself why they don't realize that their only salvation is to abandon their selfishness and return to nothingness.

Isao yelling.

Later, while he was eating a rabbit, Isao heard gunshots; he went to origin of the sound and found Aguni in a parking garage and next to him a lot of barrel bomb. He said to Aguni that if they shoot they'll both get blown away. Aguni answered that if he want to pull the trigger and end all this, he doesn't care. He asked then that if someone kills him, every players in Borderlands will get their visas extended but Isao don't answered him. When Aguni was about to shoot on the barrels, Dodo interrupted them. Isao took advantage of the situation and start to move toward Dodo with his knife. Dodo ran away, Isao followed him and threw a grenade to Aguni and the barrels. Aguni escaped in time but the explosion destroyed the building's foundation. Isao started to remember the moment when he killed Apache. He tried to shoot on Dodo but Aguni intervened and saved him with a cover fire with his last bullet. Will a land avalanche started to destroy the building, Isao remembered how he killed his friend and yelled and shoots in the air. Aguni and Dodo took the opportunity and started to go on the top of the building. After empting his weapon of ammos, Isao started to followed them mumbling continuously his friend name.

Aguni runnig on Isao while he's shooting him

On the top of the building, while Aguni was escaping with a rope threw by Heiya, Dodo covered him and tried to shoot on him but can't hit him with his bullet proof vest. Isao hit Dodo in the arm make him fall in the land avalanche. While the building was collapsing, Isao use Heiya's rope and landed on a ca . Full of rage, Aguni ran on Isao who start to shot at him, but that doesn't stop him. Aguni arrived at him and brook his neck. While he was dying, Isao apologized to Apache, saying that it was the only way he could save him and finally died.

Aguni breaking Isao neck

Games Played

[v · e · ?] Games played by Shīrabi
As a player
Unknown Number of Games	King of Spades	King of Hearts
As a citizen
King of Spades†