Baji (Ken Ryuguji)

Lore & Background

Baji's identity is inseparable from the Rokuhara Tandai neighborhood and the gang that calls it home. He is not a polished leader or a scheming strategist; he is the muscle and the conscience rolled into one. His long hair, the jagged scar splitting his cheek, and his habit of baring his teeth in a snarl make him instantly recognizable in any crowd of Toman members. In the gang's informal hierarchy he sits just behind Mikey, not by title but by the sheer weight of his presence. When a fight breaks out, Baji is the one who steps in first, and the one who makes sure no one in his circle walks away broken. His relationship with Mikey is the emotional spine of much of the story. The two share a history that predates the timeline shifts, a bond forged in the rough streets of Rokuhara Tandai. Mikey's quiet, almost otherworldly calm is constantly tested and answered by Baji's volcanic temper. They spar, they argue, they protect each other with a ferocity that outsiders find unsettling. In the most pivotal moments of the narrative, Baji is the one who either holds Mikey back from self-destruction or follows him into the abyss, refusing to let the captain face the worst of it alone. As the story escalates through its various timeline arcs, Baji's role deepens. He is not merely a fighter; he is the living memory of what Toman was before the chaos, the standard against which every other member is measured. His loyalty is not blind obedience but a hard-won, blood-soaked choice made again and again, which is what makes it so devastating when that loyalty is tested by the very people he loves most.

In Their Own Story

The rain had turned the concrete of Rokuhara Tandai into a dark mirror. Baji stood at the edge of the underpass, water dripping from the ends of his long hair, his scarred jaw set tight. Across the street, three figures from a rival crew had cornered one of the younger Toman kids, and the kid's knuckles were already split. Baji didn't run. He didn't need to. He walked, slow and deliberate, each footfall heavy on the wet asphalt, and the three men straightened up like they'd been hit by a wall of sound. He stopped three meters out, rolled his shoulders, and let out a low, rattling laugh through his nose. "You done?" he asked, voice flat, almost bored. The tallest one raised his fists. Baji's eyes didn't blink. Behind him, the kid scrambled away. Baji watched him go, then turned his full, scarred face back toward the three men and grinned—a wide, ugly, beautiful thing. "Good. Now I can hit you properly."

Reader's Guide

Ken Ryuguji, called Baji, is a core member of Toman's Rokuhara Tandai faction and one of the gang's most physically dominant fighters. He is introduced early in the series as part of Mikey's inner circle, immediately establishing himself as the loud, aggressive counterweight to Mikey's unsettling calm. Baji's defining trait is his loyalty. He does not serve Toman out of ideology or ambition; he serves because the people in that group are his people, and he will break anyone who threatens them. This makes him both the gang's most reliable shield and, in the story's more complex moral moments, a character whose protectiveness can tip into something harder to forgive. His rivalry with Mikey is not a rivalry for power but a rivalry for the other's well-being. The two constantly test each other's limits, physically and emotionally. Baji is the one who sees through Mikey's silence, and Mikey is the one who understands Baji's rage. Their dynamic is the emotional core of Toman's identity. Across the timeline arcs, Baji's story is marked by loss, protection, and the painful cost of staying in a world that keeps trying to take the people he loves. He is the character who embodies what Toman was at its best: a family of broken kids who chose each other and refused to let go.

Did You Know?

• Baji's nickname is used far more often than his real name, Ken Ryuguji, by virtually every other character in the story, reinforcing that his identity is tied to the gang rather than any formal title.
• His physical fighting style is characterized by raw, overwhelming strength and close-range aggression rather than technique, making him a brawler who can outlast and overpower more skilled opponents through sheer force.
• Baji and Mikey's bond is portrayed as pre-dating the main timeline events, suggesting a history of friendship and rivalry that spans multiple years and multiple timeline shifts.
• The scar on Baji's face is a permanent part of his visual identity and is never explained as a recent injury, implying it is an old mark from his past that he wears without apology.