| Kyou Rei | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese | Qiāng lǐ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kanji | 羌礼 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Romaji | Kyo Rei | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Epithet | Shiyuu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| “ | The one who wasn't ready...was me. I knew...I could...Never hurt you, Rei. That's why...I'm so sorry...But I'm happy you survived. I'm...maybe I'm just selfish, but...Rei...Outside...For my sake, too...LIVE AS STRONGLY AS YOU CAN! | ” |
—Shiki's last words to Rei. | ||
Kyou Rei is a soldier of the Kyou Kai Army, serving as Kyou Kai’s de facto right hand and a member of the Hi Shin Unit.[1] Like Kyou Kai, she was once part of the Kyou Tribe within the Clan Shiyuu a legendary group of elite swordswomen known for their unparalleled skill in assassination. Rei ultimately became the Shiyuu, the clan’s strongest warrior, before leaving to follow Kyou Kai.
Born into Clan Shiyuu, Rei was raised alongside her twin sister, Kyou Shiki, and their older adopted sisters, Kyou Shou and Kai. She and Shiki played a vital role in supporting Kyou Kai’s quest for vengeance against Yuu Ren, who had deceitfully claimed the title of Shiyuu after murdering Shou.
After Kyou Kai avenged their fallen sister, Rei and Shiki were chosen to undergo the brutal Shiyuu ritual to determine the next leader of their clan. However, Shiki willingly sacrificed herself to ensure Rei’s victory, leaving Rei devastated and slowly pushing her toward madness.
Consumed by grief, Rei sought out Kyou Kai, blaming her for Shiki’s death and intending to kill her. However, Kai was able to reach her, pulling her back from the darkness and helping her accept Shiki’s sacrifice. Since then, Rei has become an invaluable member of the Hi Shin Unit, fighting alongside her comrades while forging her own path forward.
Appearance[]
Kyou Rei is a small and short young woman in her mid to late teens with black hair tied into a ponytail with a ribbon and cat-like eyes. For clothing she wears the Kyou tribe's style of the standard Shiyuu robes and a white headband with two markings.
Personality[]
Rei is a shamelessly confident woman who takes great pride in the things she holds dear. Despite her immense skill, she maintains a cheerful and somewhat immature personality, often displaying brutal honesty—a trait she shares with both Kyou Kai and Shin.
Her curiosity about the world outside Clan Shiyuu is boundless, as she finds it strange yet fascinating, eagerly learning about new experiences with bright enthusiasm. She also enjoys teasing others, often making fun of Kyou Kai, particularly regarding matters of romance, and frequently trading jabs with Shin.
However, after surviving the Shiyuu succession ritual, Rei was deeply traumatized and developed a dark, twisted persona. Overcome by grief from Shiki’s death, she embraced violence with sadistic glee, viewing war as nothing more than a “fun game” while ruthlessly cutting down her enemies. In reality, she was suffering immensely, barely able to stomach her own actions.
But after every massacre, she would vomit, revealing the deep-seated remorse she tried to suppress. Rei also adopted a cold and arrogant facade, distancing herself from others. This led many in the Hi Shin Unit to view her as insane and reckless, particularly when she ignored orders and looked down on both her commanders and fellow soldiers. However, beneath this hardened exterior, she was struggling to come to terms with her trauma and find her place outside the brutal world of the Shiyuu.
History[]
Rei and Shiki, her older twin sister, were born in the Kyou Tribe of Clan Shiyuu. From a young age, the sisters were trained by the Elder in Shiyuu martial arts, swordsmanship, and assassination techniques alongside their adopted older sisters, Kyou Shou and Kyou Kai as they were all raised together.
In one of Kyou Kai's memories, Rei is briefly seen together with Shiki, and Shou as they nag at Kai for only hunting and finding one frog despite it being her turn to find food for everyone. She gets annoyed at the fact that Kai is the one who always eats the most as she points out that, but she gets bop her in the head for the remark.[2]
Story[]
Sometime after Keiyou Campaign Arc and before Assassination Plot Arc[]
At some point after the Battle at Dakan Plains, Kyou Kai risked a trip back to her village in order to gather more information on Yuu Ren's whereabouts. But she is ambushed by Rei, who started wielding Shou's blade - Hakuhau, and Shiki. Rei makes a point to goad Kai to take back Shou's sword but they're both easily and soundly defeated in an instant with Rei crying at the thought of her getting cut down.[3]
Afterwards, Rei and Shiki catch up with Kai. While they scold Kai for her actions against the clan and the disgrace it brought for the Kyou Tribe, Rei asks Kai if she's done it with a man yet and teases her sister about it which earns her bop to the head before the Kyou Elder comes to greet Kai.
The elder asks Kai if she could wait three years before hunting down and killing Yuu Ren. Kai asks the reason and the elder tells her in the three years, Rei and Shiki will be the representatives of their tribe in the next ritual.
Kai, worried, states that they should discard the foolishness of the ritual, but Rei cuts in to tell her that her concern isn't necessary as they would welcome it even if it happened tomorrow.
Rei also tells Kai that she isn't the only one angry about Shou's death and that she should kill Yuu Ren as soon as possible. After showing their resolve, Rei asks Kai what the outside world is like and she answers that it's not a bad place, probably, while Rei teases that she has done it with a man. [4]
Kyou Kai's Revenge Arc[]
Rei was seen along with Shiki, to be the next contenders for the Shiyuu position should Yuu Ren's dead body were to be found.[5]
Sometime during the Western Zhao Invasion Arc and before the Shiyuu Conflict Arc[]
Years later, Rei is seen training with Shiki under the watchful eye of the Kyou Elder and both sisters are able to put their respective blades on each other's neck. Shiki says that if they didn't hold back one of them would end up dead while Rei says that should be Shiki. Rei then proposes to make dinner and goes out to hunt a rabbit. Meanwhile Shiki and the elder talk about Yuu Ren's death and the next ritual.[6]
Before the ritual started the sisters promised each other that they would try their best to kill each other. The other candidates fell one after the other to their blades until there were only Rei and Shiki left among the dead. However, when they are about to strike each other, Shiki stops her blade and gets stabbed by Rei in the chest. Then it's revealed that Shiki had planned this from the start because she didn't want to hurt Rei. In her dying words , she tells Rei to live her life as strongly as she can for both of them. With every other candidate dead, Rei becomes the next Shiyuu.
Shiyuu Conflict Arc[]
Rei saving the Bi Hei Unit from Zhao soldiers.
After becoming the Shiyuu, Rei starts to slowly succumb to the "darkness" of the title and from her trauma regarding Shiki's death. During the ongoing skirmishing between the Qin Military and the Zhao Military, on the left wing of the Gaku Ka Army, the Gaku Ka soldiers were in the middle of retreating from a Zhao unit. Every soldier pauses as they start hearing an eerily familiar humming. A mysterious figure kills every single Zhao soldier in the vicinity and the Gaku Ka soldiers only watch while believing that they just saw a "monster". In the following days, after cutting swathes of massacred Zhao soldiers to the Hi Shin Unit's position. She saves Kou and the Bi Hei Unit from certain death, then tells them to guide her towards Kai.
Afterwards, Rei meets Kyou Kai and grins at the notion of her twin sister, she decides to join the unit voluntarily but earns the ire of the Hi Shin soldiers due to her attitude, disobeying orders, and later on, her actions against surrendered soldiers. In their offensive, she sprung the ambush, attacking and killing Zhao soldiers after channeling her bloodlust.
Rei's insubordination and reckless attitude would only further enrage the infantry, even her killing of Zhao prisoners was condemned. Rei and the gathered Hi Shin members almost get into a fight, but Kyou Kai intervenes before the fight begins.
She demands a duel with Kai, which the latter accepts, and three days later with Kyou Kai recovered, they begin their duel. Kai says that they should finish this before more people arrive, but before asking her how Shiki died. It makes Rei angry, and she attacks her senior first. Kyou Kai however dodges all her attacks without even drawing a sword and punches her to the ground. Ten is surprised that Kyou Kai can overwhelm Rei so easily, but Kai responds that Rei is not serious yet either. No, that Kyou Kai recovered she can get serious for a while, and they can both fight "in the abyss". The sisters continue their duel as they both start using their respective Priestess Dances.
In a move that Kyou Kai barely dodges, Rei claims that Kai would’ve died had Shiki performed that move. But she then angrily remarks that Kai is alive while Shiki remains dead. While Kai acknowledges Shiki's skill, she retorts that she has not fought with all her power. Rei dismisses her by exclaiming she never underwent the ritual. In the emotional duel, Kyou Kai begins to ask her little sister about the circumstances of the former twin's death, and she answers that Shiki is stronger than her. It is revealed that Shiki sacrificed herself because she was unable to kill Rei. Remembering that her sister apologized for her dying breath, this breaks Rei's berserk state and leaves her sobbing and promising her dead sister that she will live to the fullest.
The next day, Rei apologizes to every member of the Hi Shin Unit for her actions with the final one being Shin as he bops her on the head. Shin tells her that next time he won't be so lenient, and should she break the rules of the unit again she's gone. Furthermore, he tells her that she needs to listen to her superiors while saying that she isn't the only one who has gone through a great loss which is why they need to rely on each other and from now on their comrades. Rei is then seen in Kai's tent where she helps Kyou Kai to reconnect her severed Chi vessels. When Shin visits them she listens to the conversation and afterward Rei thanks Kai for bringing her back from the darkness of the Shiyuu. From then on, Kyou Rei officially joined the Hi Shin Unit and would come to save the unit from many crises for years.
Battle of Eikyuu Arc[]
When the remaining soldiers of the Gyoku Hou Army surrounded by Zhao forces, Rei is the one to save unconscious Ou Hon, Ban You, and the remaining Gyoku Hou from the attack. When Hi Shin Unit tries to take Eikyuu fortress, she is part of the climbing team. She tries to climb ahead of others she almost falls but is saved by Kou. After they reach the top, she kills multiple Zhao soldiers and later rides with Den Ei as they charge the HQ of Gaku Haku Kou but she then is thrown off and falls down the cliff with other soldiers after Gaku Haku Kou's attack. But she was later rescued by Kyou Kai.
Zhao's Retaliation Arc[]
Nature Of Humanity Arc[]
Hango Campaign Arc[]
Conquest of Han Arc[]
Abilities[]
| STATS | |
|---|---|
| Strength | 93 + extra large α |
| Leadership | 52 |
| Intelligence | 70 |
| Experience | D |
| Healing the wounds in my heart | |
As the holder of Shiyuu title Kyou Rei is a prodigy warrior and assassin who's skills could be considered among the greatest in her clan.
Physical Abilities[]
Rei turning the battlefield into a bloodbath.
Master Swordswoman: Kyou Rei is a formidable warrior whose skills rival those of Kyou Kai. Wielding her blade, Hakuhau, she can effortlessly cut down large groups of enemies on the battlefield. During the Shiyuu selection ritual, she defeated multiple candidates and survived until the end. Later, she was able to hold her own in a duel against Kyou Kai, though Kai was not fighting to kill her.
- The Mist Technique: a special move taught in a Kyou Tribe where the user delivers a barrage of slashes from different angles to overwhelm her opponent.[7]
Immense Strength: Rei is strong enough to easily cut armored soldiers on the battlefield into pieces. She was also capable of cutting a large rock in half with a sword swing.[8]
Immense Speed: Rei is an agile fighter who can strike down her enemies before they can notice it. She is fast enough to keep up with the speed of Kyou Kai during their duel.
Chi Manipulation: As the Shiyuu, Rei is capable of manipulating her Chi in various ways.
- Chi Sense: just like other members from Clan Shiyuu Rei has a sixth sense that allows her to sense the presence of her enemies, even if they are hidden.[9]
- Priestess Dance: Rei is especially talented in using her priestess dance as demonstrated during the ritual when she took down and killed multiple other practitioners of the technique. When she dives deep into the trance her veins become dark red, and she starts bleeding from her body.
Master Assassin: Rei is an expert assassin having received strict training in the art of assassination since she could walk. She can hide her presence so well that she sneaked into the middle of an intense battle between the Hi Shin Unit and a Zhao army having rescued the Bi Hei Unit from near destruction [10] and appeared right next to the Ryuu Yuu Unit before they could even notice her. [11]
- Sound Muffling Technique: Rei can use a special technique based around one’s footwork that used to hide the sound of one's footsteps.
Duels[]
| # | Against | Status | Start in chapter | End in chapter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vs. Kyou Kai | Loss | Chapter 667 | Chapter 669 |
| 1 | vs. Fuuon (with Riku Sen) | Win | Chapter 723 | Chapter 723 |
Gallery[]
Shiyuu Conflict Arc[]
Battle of Eikyuu Arc[]
Chapters Covers[]
Black and White[]
Rei watching Kai being embrace and welcomed back by Shin.
Colored[]
Official Artwork[]
Volumes Covers[]
Fanbooks[]
Other Media[]
Young Jump[]
to celebrate reaching 100 Million Copies in Circulation!
Etymology[]
- Kyou or Qiang refers to various groups of people at different periods in ancient China. One meaning is shepherds with 羌 being formed from the characters for "sheep" (羊) and "man" (人) and pronounced like "sheep" and another is they were descended from the Yan Emperor, the mythical "Flame Emperor" and his tribe.
Trivia[]
- Like her late older sister, Shou, Rei shows an interest in the sexual nature between a man and a woman.
[]
References[]
- ↑ Kingdom Manga: Vol.74 Chapter 812
- ↑ Kingdom Manga: Vol.25's Omake
- ↑ Kingdom Manga: Vol.15's Omake
- ↑ Kingdom Manga:Vol.16's Omake
- ↑ Kingdom Manga: Chapter 363 Page 11
- ↑ Kingdom Manga Vol.56's Omake
- ↑ Chapter 668, page 6-8
- ↑ Chapter 667, page 16
- ↑ Chapter 664, page 12
- ↑ Kingdom Manga: Vol.61 Chapter 663, pages 115-116
- ↑ Kingdom Manga: Vol.61 Chapter 664, page 131