Hatsu


 * "You bastard! How dare you mock the way of the warrior?! There is no act more manly or noble than the Halbok!!"
 * "You bastard! How dare you mock the way of the warrior?! There is no act more manly or noble than the Halbok!!"


 * - Hatsu to Koon

Hatsu (하츠, Hahcheu; or "Hatz") is a Regular and a "devoutly" practised swordsman. He teamed up with with Anak and Ship during the first test on the 2nd Floor, and later signed Koon's friend list. He is a quiet and calm warrior, who has been making good progress in the tests merely by doing exactly what each test entails.

Background
Hatsu comes from a humble background, from a family with no particular fame.

Personality
Hatsu's actions are dictated by a code of honour drilled into him since he was a child. This includes repaying debts to other people, and not betraying one's teammates. He expects others to follow and is enraged when encountering people who don't (Koon). He also finds it hard to comprehend people who would betray their own teammates out of cowardice, exemplified when he trusted Parakewl in the Hide and Seek Test. Apart from outbursts when his honour is insulted, Hatsu is generally very cool headed, being able to think quickly while fighting. He is quiet and does not socialize much, having difficulty recruiting friends.

Appearance
Hatsu is a dark haired boy. He is well muscled, although very thin. He wears a black and maroon robe with an orange cloth around his waist.

Abilities
Swordfighting Skills: Hatsu is a very good swordsman, wielding his swords fast and precisely. He is well trained, is strong physically, and can easily best multiple Regulars in a swordfight. He was even able to hold off Quant for a short time. His training also gave him an almost exceptionally powerful grip, such that he may grasp whatever he chooses without fear of losing his hold over it. His grip has proven capable of even restricting the movements of a Ranker.

Sword That Flies Higher Than Any: This sword has a blue hilt with a red tassel on it. When Hatsu throws is into the air, it will move on its own, attacking and blocking for Hatsu in midair.

Sword That Flies Lower Than Any: This sword has a red hilt with a blue tassel. This sword can emit a small but potent blast wave when Hatsu swings it hard.

Shinsoo detection: Hatsu can detect the Shinsoo of others at a long range.

Spectral Dance: First Strike: A powerful sword technique Hatsu can use, strong enough to crack stone.

Card
(Found on author’s blog and translated by Greenanatoly Edited by Kroll Source Here and Here)



Part 1
In Part I, Hatsu appeared on the second floor with all the other Regulars. He encountered Anak and began to fight her. Ship Leesoo then turned up, but both Hatsu and Anak completely ignored him. Subsequently, It was announced that the Regulars had to form teams of three, and Hatsu and Anak stopped fighting immediately and teamed up. They continued to ignore Ship, but as he grabbed them they ended up on a team with him. Hatsu then passed the barrier and the Door Test without much trouble.

He took part in the Crown Game with Anak and Ship. He was able to defeat most of the regulars who attacked him. However, Phonsekal Laure blasted him away with his Shinsoo. After Anak defeated Laure and made a bet with Baam, Hatsu watched the rest of the Crown Game in a moody fashion.

Hatsu was put in the Scout position for training. During the lessons, he tried to get Koon on his "friends" list. At first, they hated each other, but Baam helped to cool down the tension between them, and he became Koon's friend. He was put on Team B for the Hide-and-Seek test. He travelled with the Spear Bearers on the team, both of whom were very annoyed until Hatsu beat them up. He sensed Quant's ominous presence approaching by using his Shinsoo, and told the Spear Bearers to run and throw spears from a distance. Hatsu sensed that Quant was very angry, making the Ranker even more dangerous. He drew his swords and prepared for the coming onslaught. When a Lighthouse revealed Quant, Hatsu blocked his attack, and began to fight him. He noticed that while Quant moves were possible for a regular human, they had been honed to a level that was beyond human capability, and into the being that was a Ranker. He decided that he to finish the battle while Quant was still toying with him, and leapt into the shadows. He came out at high speed attacking Quant, but the Ranker simply grabbed him in midair and slammed him into the wall. However, Hatsu was able to remain consious, and grabbed Quant's hand, saying that he would not let go, and telling Parakewl and Mauchi to fire, not knowing that they had fled.

In the discussion the regulars had after Baam revealed himself as an irregular, he was the first to speak of Baam in a positive manner. When Koon acted like he was abandoning Baam for being an irregular, Hatsu became enraged and was about to attack him, calling him a coward.

In the Submerged Fish Hunt, Hatsu plays a minor role of watching the thieves' movements. After the test, he became annoyed with Parakewl who was only concerned about whether they had passed or not since this went against the code of honour he had been raised to. When Parakewl mentioned that Baam was dead and kept using the word dead, Hatsu threatened to kill him. He felt obligated to Baam and influenced everyone to help Rachel climb to the top of The Tower.

Part 2 - The Return of the Prince
Hatsu is now a great and powerful swordsman in Part II, recognized throughout The Tower for his skill. He is rumored to have fought the "Devil of the Right Arm" during the timeskip. Whether this was a rumor Rapdevil used while posing as Beniamino Cassano (also known as the "Devil of the Right Arm", though was in actuality the "Devil of the 'Left' Arm") or an actual event remains yet unknown. Although Agero seems to have heard of this incident and is at least curious enough about it to hunt the "Devil" down.

Bet
As the Hand of Arlen was blown up, he along with the rest of his team watched the news grimly, believing the reports of Koon's death. When the invitation to the Workshop Battle was sent to Ship's pocket, he wordlessly followed Leesoo to the next floor.

Workshop Battle
When they arrived at the 30th floor, Ship was goggling at the enormity of Archemides, annoying the highly introverted swordsman. He mock-swung his sword at Ship, sobering the atmosphere by reminding them of the mission: to kil Jyu Viole Grace.

Relationships
Ship Leesoo: These two get along well. While Hatsu didn't want to associate with Anak anymore after the teams dissolved, he still socialized with Hatsu. They went friend hunting together, trying to fill up their friend list. Leesoo often acts as the glue and mediating force between Anak and Hatsu.

Anak: These two do not get along and often disagree on things. While Hatsu tolerated her selfish actions to a certain point when they were on the same team, he didn't wish to be associated with her anymore after the teams dissolved. Ship Leesoo is usually the reason why they can get along.

Baam: These two are good friends. Hatsu seems to like and appreciate Baam's honesty and desire to help others, regarding their friendship highly. They can sometimes be seen socializing outside of tests. Baam has helped Hatsu fill out his friend list. Hatsu is quick to defend Baam and was angry on Baam's behalf when it appeared that Koon was abandoning Baam. When Baam was thought to be dead, Hatsu was the one to propose helping Rachel because he felt he owed it to Baam.

Koon Agero Agnis: These two are friends, though they like to make fun of each other. Hatsu calls Koon "ear decorations" and Koon in return calls him "halbok warrior." They are often able to get a rise out of each other. Though Hatsu was the one to propose helping Rachel, he seems to follow Koon's lead on how to do it, letting himself get seperated into another team.

Notes and Trivia

 * It is implied that Hatsu entered the Tower because he seeks honor and pride (명예와 긍지).
 * As a humorous reference to old school yakuza manga or movies, Hatsu's defeated opponents were piled on top of one another, during the Crown Game.Hatsu_pile1.jpg

Quotes
"Trusting your allies is obvious." -Hatsu to Ship Leesoo

Alternate Translations

 * (Korean Pronunciation) Ha-cheu
 * (SIU) Hatz