| Hatenko Meru | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Kanji | 破天虎 メル | |
| Romaji | Hatenko Meru | |
| Alias | Tiger Right Hand of the Dragon Slayer | |
| Personal Profile | ||
| Age | 18 | |
| Gender | Female | |
| Hair Color | Silver | |
| Academic Affiliation | ||
| Occupation | Student | |
| Affiliation | Kito (pet) Rintaro (self-declared partners) | |
| Media Appearances | ||
| Manga Debut | Chapter 4 | |
Hatenko Meru, widely known as the Tiger/Hatenko (破天虎, Tiger that Break the Heavens) or the Right Hand of the Dragon Slayer in the academy,[1] is a young gaming otaku[2], as well as a powerful fighter who is reputed to be able to challenge the Dragons of Nangokuren High School.[3] She also has a pet hamster named Kito.
Appearance
Meru is a young, petite girl with silver long hair (or light blue) tied in twintails. She wears a dark blue button-down vest with side straps, over a tank top, a dark blue skirt with two yellow lines, sneakers, and a tie wrapped around her left arm.
Personality
Meru's game addiction
An avid gamer, Meru aims to become the God of the Gaming World. She also doesn't like to lose, as seen when she challenged Rintaro to more games after drawing with him the first time and furiously hitting a claw game when she didn't get anything. She also has a habit of playing games 20 hours a day. She also carries four handhelds with strap's attached to them.
She has also taken a liking to Rintaro after she had a draw with him in a game. She then starts to hang out with him and even tells him about her goal.
She is also envious of those with large breasts and has a habit of squeezing them.
Plot
Past Rivalries with Ren and the Alliance to Rino
Sometime before Rintarou's enrollment to the academy, Meru challengedRen into a battle where she was miraculously won after Ren noticed Meru's special item, the Golden Trichy, and broke off the battle. When Ren declared her feelings for the game and her intention to leave it unharmed, Meru took a liking to her. That began their friendship. Meru also remarked on Ren's weird habit of changing clothes immediately if they are ripped, no matter how small. On the day of Ren's graduation, they had one final fight that ended in a draw. As they rested, Ren expressed her concerns about Rino and her desire to gain power. She forged a pact with Meru, the Covenant of Hagen (Hatenko Meru & Gentōryū Ren), to help Rino understand what she had learned from her friendship with Meru. To symbolize the pact, she gave Meru the tie that is wrapped around her forearm. But Rino dismissed any sort of assistance from Meru, she wanted to surpass Ren and achieve full supremacy at Nangokuren.
Present and Rivalry with the Newbie, Rintaro
Hatenko Meru first appeared playing a game in an arcade. She faces against Rintaro after she beats her previous opponent. When then games became a draw, she compliments Rintaro for his skills. She then plays more games and winds up winning them all. She then plays a claw machine and hits it when she doesn't get anything. She then gets pouty when Rintaro gets something from the machine, but cheers up when he gives it to her.
She then heads to the park with Rintaro. She then talks with Rintarou about how much she enjoys games and that she plans around 20 hours a day. When Rintaro points out the straps on her cellphone, she says that they aren't cellphones and pulls out games consoles. She also reveals that she uploads her gameplays onto her site, Kami Taisen. She then says that she will become the God of the Gaming World.
They are then confronted by people who tell them that the bench they are on is theirs. She then says that she doesn't want to move, and then launch them into the air with a leg swipe. She then hits them into the pond and says that they aren't strong. When Ayane shows up, she squeezes Ayane's breasts and says that she is envious. Rino then shows up saying that she has come to pick Meru up.
When Rino tells her to fulfill the convent of Hagen, She ignores Rino and happily greets Erin who suddenly shows up. She then listens to Erin and realizes who Rintarou is. She then apologizes to Rino and says that she won't break her promise but she is partnering up with Rintarou. She then tells Rintarou that they are partnering up and then reveals that she is a third year along with being 18 years old. She then says that it's late and says that they play again tomorrow, then leaves with Erin.
The next day, she is with Erin when they encounter Kyōka. They then punch each other, which she compliments Kyōka about how strong she is. She then dodges Kako's attack and says that it has been a long time. She then repeatedly dodges Kako's attacks and even manages to stand on her sword. She then compliments Kako about her eye-patch, Although Kako yells at her for making her wear it in the first place. She then grabs Kako's breasts and says that they have gotten bigger. She then repeatedly dodges, when Kako starts attacking again embarrassed. When Rintarou shows up, she greets him. She then says that she is going to stay by Rintarou's side and tries to lock arms with him when Ayane and Rino show up. She then asks why he won't let her lock arms with him, which Rintarou says that its personal reasons. She then begins to repeatedly attack Rintarou and then yells at him exclaiming the reason he won't lock arms with her is that she doesn't have large breasts. They then get into an argument over the matter, which results in her telling Rintarou to fight her.
But her fight is interrupted by Rino, who quickly deduces her true intent in fighting Rintaro, and prepares to dispose of him once and for all. Meru stands aside but Ayane proceeds to challenge Rino in her master's stead. Meru and Rintaro observe the fight commenting on Rino's technique. When Ayane is defeated, Meru immediately takes her to the infirmary. There she discloses her true reason for fighting Rintarou...the Covenant of Hagen. An event that took place when she and Kyōka was a second-year student and Rino was a first-year student. One person had risen close to supremacy at Nangokuren High School...Gentōryū Ren, Rino's older sister. After leaving the infirmary, Meru told Rintaro of the gaming project she was involved in and her desire for him to inherit the covenant by fighting in front of Rino and throwing the fight. She is surprised, however, when she finds Rintaro's fist suddenly in front of her. Rintaro tells her that the only for him to take her seriously is for her to take things seriously. Agreeing, Meru climbs to the top of the school and Rintaro displays another anti-pervert technique.
At the top of the school, Meru raises a red flag that catches the attention of the three dragons. Kako comments on how the next day would be a bloodbath. Descending from the school's apex, Meru lands in front of Rintarou and makes a serious request.
The Batsuzangaisei Ceremony
The next day, the students assembled in front of two buildings, one old and the other new, on a cliff overlooking the ocean. On-site, Meru confronts Rintaro with confidence and expect that Rintaro wouldn't disappoint her.
Okina, Rintaro's teacher, explains that the red flag symbolizes the Batsuzangaisei Ceremony.
It was originally intended as a way to determine strength between students and eventually became a school tradition. The competitors, using their own skills and strength, destroy a building scheduled for demolishing. The new building is named Ren Hall, in honor of Gentōryū Ren, the previous winner.
As the challenge has finally commenced, Meru bursts off and begins breaking the support pillars of the old building. Seemly got the upper hand, Meru makes good progress by decimated half of the pillars until she is pulled away by Rintaro, watches in shock as the building collapses into the sea from Rintaro's technique in seconds before her. She turns around and is captivated by the aftermath of Rintaro's technique.
Meru captivated by Rintaro's seriousness
Satisfied, Meru expresses her gratitude towards Rintaro for giving a heated match and encourage the young rookie to become a dragon. Before he could reply, Meru announces her departure from Nangokuren to the school and asks them to take care of Rintaro. A loud crack catches everyone's attention as Ren Hall falls into the ocean. Meru snickers and asks if that was Rintaro's way of surpassing Ren.
The next day Meru was released from the academy, leaving Kito, her hamster and Erin under Rintaro's care.
Post Academy Life & Ren's Return
Meru in the company
Days after her departure, Meru was working in a video game company and becoming one of its staff. She later gives a phone call to Rintaro that Ren is visiting the academy to meet up with Rintaro. Since neither Rintaro nor Ren meets each other, Meru would inform Rintaro that Ren is now enrolled in the college and she has troubles with men; hoping Rintaro's appearance would change her mind. As she told Rintaro to give the phone to Ren, Meru tried to convince Ren that Rintaro is different and hope Ren change her view; only to be cut off by Ren before she could finish her words.
Abilities
Skills
Skilled Gamer: Hatenko Meru is very skilled at playing games, from her habit of playing for 20 hours a day.
Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: She is also rumored to be as strong as a Dragons. She has demonstrated some skills as she was able to kick up 5 people with one leg swipe and then hit them into a pond with one punch. In the past, she was able to rival Ren, the strongest dragon so far in the series. Kyōka has also stated Meru has the perfect mastery of speed, strength, and endurance that makes her a powerful fighter during the Batsuzangaisei Ceremony.
Immense Strength: Meru is shown to be extremely strong as she was able to toss multiple people in the air with a single leg swipe and even throw them into a pond with one punch. Kyōka also said that one of Meru's punches hurt. Rintarou comments that Meru punches are heavy and that the pressure alone is enough to cut his hair. Meru could effortlessly break through multiple wooden support beams in rapid succession without showing any strain in her performance. Her strength is later been stated to rival that of Kyōka, the Dragon of Power and being able to crack the ground with just the force from her punches. [4]
Enhanced Endurance: Meru has shown to be able to easily take one of Kyōka's punch to the forehead and then walk it off unfazed. During her challenge to Rintaro in the Batsuzangaisei Ceremony, she could destroy many of the building's support beams whilst sustaining slight damage to her own hands something that was commented on by Kyōka.
Immense Speed: Meru was able to easily dodge all of Kako's attacks and then sit on Kako's sword afterward. Rintarou has also commented that the speed of Meru's attacks was incredible. Kyōka commented that Meru's movements would put a monkey to shame. She also as fast as Ayane, the Dragon of Speed. [5]
Personal Techniques
- Ryūō Bokko (竜殴撲虎, Dragon Slaying Tiger Strike): [6]