Kashiwau Yoshitaka
Kashiwau Yoshitaka (Yoshitaka Kashiwau in EN[note 1]) is an NPC in Arknights. He is a major supporting character in A Flurry to the Flame.
Background
Yoshitaka was but a stubborn old man who resided in the south side of Roka Village. He had a son named Akira who became a hunter of the village despite his fierce objection. Yoshitaka's worst fears came true in the end as Akira lost his life during an attempt to stop a beast outbreak from descending upon the village. He blamed not only Takii Ataru, Akira's mentor and the village's chief, for his son's suspicious death, but also himself for failing to stop Akira on that faithful day. Devastated by the incident, he took up Akira's hunting spear and began to hunt beasts, at first to honor his son but later became a destructive obsession out of anger and remorse as he started to hallucinate his son's image on his hunts.
Even as hunters were rendered obsolete due to Roka Village's new Originum mining industry, Yoshitaka preserved and, seven years after the incident, eventually became the village's last hunter and somewhat of an outcast. Despite the villagers hiding the secret behind his son's death, Yoshitaka still cares for the village, as evident through him installing fences and protective netting around the village so that wild animals can't get in. In the depths of his mind, Yoshitaka has always known what happened to Akira, but decided to suppress it for fear of forgetting his beloved son.
Story
A Flurry to the Flame
Yoshitaka Kashiwau was first introduced tracking down a wild beast for three days straight. The aged hunter came out bloodied, but victorious, and returns home only to see his house occupied by two strangers. Despite initially treating for Yato's wounds, Yoshitaka later chases the two out after hearing their plan to hunt down the Rathalos in his quarry. As fate has it, he would later come across Yato's group taking refuge in an abandoned camp and confront them about their insistence to enter the forest. All the while, Yoshitaka has been conversing with an unknown person who is revealed to be a hallucination of his son, Akira. The confrontation is abruptly ended when the Rathalos, attracted by the campfire, descends upon the party.
In the aftermath, Noir Corne and the Felyne Scholar were taken to the sky by the Rathalos. Yato's decision to pursue the wyvern deeper into the forest despite his objections brings back painful memories for the aged hunter, who lost his son in a similar manner. Yato tries to calm a furious Yoshitaka down but, after correctly deducting the reason behind his senseless demands, enrages him even more. The hostilities culminate in him wounding Yato's leg with his spear and running away in guilt. Meanwhile, an aggravated Catastrophe begins to form due to the village's reckless Originium mining, causing wild animals in the forest to rampage which Yositaka is caught in the middle of. He begins mindlessly slaying the beasts and starts to reminisce about the day he lost his son. Overwhelmed with guilt, he resigns himself to his fate, only to be saved by Yato in the nick of time. Her determination to save him and the villagers forces Yoshitaka to start confronting his haunting past and to make amends with Yato.
Yoshitaka returns to Roka Village and leads the village's defense against the rampaging beasts alongside Ataru - Akira's mentor, and the leader of his son's party that faithful day seven years ago. There, Ataru finally reveals the truth behind Akira's death - that he sacrificed himself for the future of the village, despite his own opposition to the mining operations. Yoshitaka has always known the truth, but his son's last words finally touches the stubborn old man who is at last able to let off the hindrance in his heart. With his newfound conviction, Yoshitaka sets his house own fire to erase his painful past while attracting the Rathalos to finish it off once and for all.
Despite the chaos of the situation, a gravely injured Yoshitaka charges towards the Rathalos and strikes its head with his spear, wounding the wyvern. However, his old age finally catches up to him as the hunter lacks the strength to deal the final blow. Suddenly, he sees the sight of Kazuya who shows up and bravely distracts the great beast. Yoshitaka finally collapses as Kazuya brings him to safety. Months later, it is revealed that, albeit in a coma, Yoshitaka survived his injuries with "a lot of life in him yet" and his story of bravery became somewhat of a legend among the villagers. His hunting spear was given to Kazuya for safe-keeping as the child and many more harbor dreams of becoming the greatest hunter in the entire village.
Notes
- ↑ EN renders Japanese names in Western style (given name-surname), thus the Arknights Wiki will prefer to follow the conventional East Asian style (surname-given name) together with the EN version provided.