Hayami Katsumasa (
Appearance[]
Side view of Hayami
Hayami Katsumasa was a distinguished looking gentleman with graying hair set in a middle-parting and a thick grey mustache. The left side of his face was horrifically disfigured and his left eye was whitened. He was always seen wearing a light-colored smart suit.
Twenty years ago, when he found Meguro Masaki, Hayami had dark hair and lacked a mustache. However, his facial disfigurement was still present during this time.
Personality[]
Hayami was an extremely intimidating individual, able to exert charismatic pressure that rivals that of Katahara Metsudo. He had an opportunistic, ruthless, and Machiavellian disposition in his ambitious hunger for power and influence, finding those who work under him, no matter how skilled or capable they may be, as little more than expendable pawns that only exist to help elevate his position. To this end, he was willing to go to great lengths and commit atrocities in order to secure dominance in the political and financial worlds that he inhabitated.
However, it was implied by Yoroizuka Sanemitsu that he wasn't the malicious individual he currently was, back in the earlier days of the Kengan Association, once described as an idealistic individual who pursued his goals with his fellow comrades.
History[]
Hayami appears to have a deep history with Kengan Association chairman Katahara Metsudo, and it was implied that he had rebelled against Metsudo once before, which resulted in his massive facial scarring in the hands of Kure Erioh, who poured acid on his face. Since then, he had amassed power within the Kengan Association, forming the Society of a Hundred, the biggest faction in the Association.
Twenty years ago, Hayami encountered a 13 year old Meguro Masaki after he had killed his father, and took him off the grid in exchange for taming him to be his pawn. As a result of Hayami's actions, the case for "Boy M", as the police called him, went cold.[3] Presumably, it was at this point in time where Katsumasa created Hayami Masaki as a backup, knowing that Meguro's madness would ultimately hinder him. However, Hayami erroneously believed that he was the main reason for Meguro's insanity by tampering with his brain. Due to this, he would leave the clone's brain alone, keeping Masaki's reasoning intact.
Roughly a decade ago, Hayami ordered Urita Sukizo's father to assassinate Nishihonji Akira's father, which inadvertently resulted in the death of Inaba Ryo's father in the process. This order eventually lead to Penasonic and Nishihonji Security Services leaving the Society of a Hundred.[4]
A week before the Kengan Annihilation Tournament, he callously blackmailed an F1 race car driver into helping Julius Reinhold's insane conditioning training, which consequently resulted in the former's demise.[5]
Plot[]
Kengan Ashura[]
After Chairman Katahara's announcment of the special rule while still on board the S.S. Kengan, Hayami sent out his mercenaries and assassins in order to obtain as many representative fighter positions as possible. With only Nikaido Ren and Meguro Masaki successful in this venture, he also made dealings and used blackmail against various CEO's to secure Saw Paing, Karo Yoshinari and Nezu Masami as his fighters. Meaning Hayami managed to obtain six places in the Kengan Annihilation Tournament including his own fighter Julius Reinhold. He also solicited Ohya Ken upon arriving on Ganryu Island, and urged him to join his side.
While the tournament's first round was underway, Hayami visited Chairman Katahara personally, revealing his Guardians that he created as a mirror of Katahara's Bodyguards. With Katahara asking why Hayami wasn't at the stadium to watch Julius Reinhold's match, Hayami revealed that it would be over soon as he had put in place for Murder Music to forfeit; sure enough, Julius progressed to the next round due to forfeiture.
During the C-block portion of the first round, Kito Gunji commended him for placing his pawns, Ajiro Fisheries and Village of the Dawn against each other in order to conserve their strength. Hayami then mused on how he would soon usurp Katahara from his position.
On the day of the second round, Hayami sent out Julius to fight Wakatsuki Takeshi, confident of his victory (Julius went on to suffer defeat). With the second round finishing, all of the fighters allied with Toyo having been eliminated and evening setting in, Hayami affirmed to Kito and Long Min that they would switch to Plan B and begin his "revolution". Having organized all of the competing Kengan Association to gather into a single room, Hayami arrived with some of his Guardians and confidently announced his coup d'état, with it beginning at 4:44pm. With his plans eventually being scuppered by the efforts of both Katahara and Nogi, Hayami's coup was subdued by 6:28pm and he was imprisoned on Ganryu Island (along with Ronald Haraguchi and Kono Akio).
Kengan Omega[]
Being visited by Yamashita Kazuo and Akiyama Kaede, Hayami smugly revealed his awareness of Kazuo's plight in deciding which fighters would represent the Kengan Association in the upcoming tournament against Purgatory. Hayami gave Kazuo a "humble" request, which Kazuo reluctantly agreed to, just as his "son", Hayami Masaki entered the room, much to the sheer shock of Kazuo and Kaede.
During the tournament, Hayami was watching the match between his son, Hayami Masaki and Arashiyama Jurota.
After Erioh's death, Hayami immediately decided to try another coup using his guardians. However, Masaki would quickly halt his ambitions, while killing the Guardian that was with him. Fully aware that he would bring ruin to the Association, Hayami would die from Masaki snapping his spine and slamming his head to the ground, dying from the hands of the very son he attempted to control.
Etymology[]
- Hayami means "speed, quick, fast" (速) (haya) and "water" (水) (mi).
- Katsumasa means "victory" (勝) (katsu) and "right, proper" (正) (masa).
Notes & Trivia[]
- Hayami had a long relationship with the mayor of the Village of the Dawn, Yoroizuka Sanemitsu. He was also once a comrade of Katahara Metsudo in the latter's attempt to reform the Kengan Association. However, things happened some time later, and he became the corrupt man he was today.[1]
- Hayami disliked pathetic jokes.[1]
