Name: Raul Hardedge
Age: 26
Allegiance: Ryuusei Revolution
Deck Name: Raise Thy Sword
Deck Type: Heroic Challengers fight alongside one another to become Champions. They use each others' strength to further bolster their own, resulting in increased attacking stats, sometimes even doubling their overall strength. The deck relies on the rise of the Heroic Champions to keep the fight going for the Challengers and push for victory with their overwhelming power.
Deck Master: The revolution follows only one's own pure heart!
Numbers: Number 39: Utopia; Number 54: Lion Heart; Number 86: Heroic Challenger - Rhongomiant
Personality: The self-proclaimed Phalanx of the Ryuusei Revolution, Raul Hardedge represents his organization with such zeal and passion that he would lay down his life for his comrades, and especially his leader and object of infatuation/admiration, Homura Tsubasa. He greatly enjoys a good battle, whether with the enormous sword strapped to his back or via a game of Duel Monsters. He wields the "Heroic Challengers" with the force and strength of his own warrior spirit.
As the eldest, Raul swears it his duty to be a fatherly figure for his team, constantly taking care of all of its members, whether they need it or not. While this has led to some conflict, particularly over the safety of some of the group's actions, he only means well, and has made sure to be at their side when necessary. He is certain that when everyone supports one another, they become stronger than any one person could ever be, or even claim to be. He especially dotes on Homura, much to the chagrin of the rest of the team; in fact, he is slightly jealous of Laelynn's close relationship with their leader, suspecting her of potentially being in pursuit of her affections as he is himself. Even so, he finds Laelynn a friendly rival at worst, being an excellent training partner for swordplay and Duel Monsters.
Raul's "Hope," manifested in Number 39: Utopia, guides him on an eternal path towards a great future for humanity, and by putting his faith on Homura and the others, he is certain he has made the best decision for his own path to the future.
Biography:
- Spoiler:
- Raul is a member of the Hardedge clan, an organization of warriors from the mountains of the East. His name before taking on the name of Hardedge was Raul Ardigo. The Ardigo family were blacksmiths by trade, assisting the Hardedge clan with their weapons and armor as they prepared for missions and feuds with other clans. Raul was shown to have superb skill and dexterity with enormous greatswords, a unique trait previously held by the Khan of the Hardedges, Hiro Hardedge.
Upon his entrance into the clan, Raul went under intensive training by Hiro himself in preparation to become the successor of the Hardedges, since greatsword strength was considered a value of true leadership. All the while, he became acquainted with Duel Monsters, a game which his comrades explained to be a "practice of war." He underwent the tutorship of Hiro's advisor, Kilan Hardedge, in an attempt to master the games of war in addition to refining his skill with a bludgeoning blade. Kilan determined that the best deck to suit Raul's passion was a deck of the "Heroic Challenger" variety of monsters. Day in and day out, they would practice dueling both steel and cards.
Eventually, Raul decided to journey to the top of a mountain to show his dedication to the Hardedges, which was a trial recommended by Hiro. When he reached the top of the tallest mountain, he unleashed a mighty shout. His passion known, a flash appeared from his pocket. New monsters had appeared in Raul's deck, much to his surprise. His dedication had led to the arrival of the Aspiring King, Hope, alongside two other comrades in arms. With these cards in tow, he returned to give the news to his teachers and leaders.
But he was not expecting what he returned to.
Slaughter. Blood.
Throughout the entire mountain village, homes had been burned. Bodies of friends-in-arms, families, lay in the dirt paths. The signs of an attack reigned strong.
He rushed to the guild, hoping to join the fight and save whatever was left, but he was too late.
Gone. Vanished. The Hardedge clan had been wiped clean.
Only a note, written in blood, remained on Khan Hiro Hardedge's body.
It read:
"Raul Hardedge, Defender of the Just, Blade of the Champions. Rise...and Seek the Future!"
With his family and partners perished, tears in his eyes and rage in his heart, Raul knew there was only one thing to do. As the last Hardedge, he must seek the future for his clan. A future without annihilation.
He learned of a revolution in the West that had been successful, headed Eastward. Raul made it his goal to intercept this group for the sake of protecting the resting place of his kin. What he wasn't expecting was to encounter Homura Tsubasa, leader of the Ryuusei Revolution, with a tortured youth and a female soldier by her side. At first, he was skeptical of Homura's offering of strength. What darkness could come from following this path? Is it the future he would truly want to seek, as per the request of the Khan?
But he could see it, in the young woman's eyes, and her stature alongside her comrades. She was aiming for the same thing he was. A perfect world, a world where one could live harmoniously. At least, that's what he told himself when he decided to accept her proposal. From that point forward, Raul Hardedge became not only the last of his kind, but the first to ally himself with a new "clan": the Ryuusei Revolution.