Takashi Saitou

Overview

Summary

Gallery

"We'll meet again, if we have a connection."

— Takashi Saitou

Takashi Saitou
Kanji Name	西東 天
Kana Name	さいとう たかし
Romaji Name	Saitō Takashi
Character Information
Alias	Humanity's Worst Desert Fox Mr. Fox The Fox Masked Man
Age	39
Gender	Male
Personal Status
Classification	Human
Relatives	Jun Aikawa (Daughter) Magokoro Omokage (Granddaughter) Kengo Saitou (Father) Masami Saitou (Mother) Jun Saitou (Older Sisters) Puniko Yuigahama (Creation)
Professional Status
Occupation	Member of the ER3 System (Formerly) Leader of the Thirteen Stairs
Affiliation	MS-2 ER3 System Thirteen Stairs
Media
Work of Origin	Zaregoto Series Ningen Series
Novel Debut	Cannibal Magical: Niounomiya Siblings, Masters of Carnage
Manga Debut	Soushiki Zerozaki's Human Exam Manga, Chapter 10 Seishun Kijinden! 240 Gakuen, Chapter 2

Takashi Saitou (西東(さいとう) 天(たかし), Saitō Takashi), also known as Humanity's Worst (人類最悪(じんるいさいあく), Jinrui Saiaku) and the Desert Fox (砂漠の狐(デザート・フォックス), Dezāto Fokkusu, lit. "Fox of the Desert"), is the main antagonist of the Zaregoto Series. He is a former scholar of the ER3 System, Jun Aikawa's father and the leader of the Thirteen Stairs.

Personality

Ever since he could remember, Takashi's goal in life has been to witness the end of the Story, which he calls the "Dying Epilogue". In fact, even as a child, he was terrified of the idea of not being able to learn and accomplish everything he wanted; something which, by his calculations, would take far longer than any human could possibly live.

Initially, he set out to find a way to become immortal and worked alongside Yaku Kigamine in studying the undying nature of Kuchiha Madoka. However, he soon discovered the reason for her apparent immortality was due to her being an entity from outside the Story; as such, Takashi set out in order to escape the Story himself, thereby accomplishing his goal of being able to watch everything play out.

Takashi has a fatalistic view of the world, believing that everything in life has already been decided and (while small divergences may be allowed) any impactful decisions are set up beforehand and cannot be altered. In his mind, even if you were to fail at doing something important it wouldn't matter because then somebody else will just do it in your stead, thus it's completely futile to feel regret over past decisions or grief over lost ones as everything was meant to be as it is. This view allows Takashi to have a blatant disregard for human life, guiltlessly sending Izumu Niounomiya to kill Kigamine and Madoka, not feeling a hint of sadness over Rizumu Niounomiya's death, and poisoning Miiko Asano without so much as a second though in order to advance his own plans.

His favorite catchphrase is "We'll meet again, if we have a connection", which he often uses. Like his daughter, Jun, he likes Shonen manga. He also shares her intensity and disregard for other people's thoughts, so much so that The Nonsense User quickly notices the two's similarities.

However, even though he doesn't care for other people, he still has a sense of aesthetics which he conducts himself by, wishing to take the most "beautiful" means. He has a fetish for glasses, which is why all members of the Thirteen Stairs (aside from Magokoro Omokage) wear them. He is similar to the Nonsense User in his tendency to forget things very easily. He became so focused on achieving his goal that he completely disregards everyone and everything else, it eventually gets to the point where he completely forgets about his former associates and even his own daughter until being reminded of them.

Appearance

Takashi Saitou is a tall, handsome man with short black hair. His face is usually covered by his signature fox mask, although he occasionally takes it off. He is most often shown wearing a white kimono with a fox tail design. Another one of his outfits is a white suit with a fur scarf around his neck. He also has black painted nails.

Takashi's card.

Takashi bookmark.

Takashi's design in the crossover manga.

Background

He was born in Tokyo to Kengo Saitou, a professor of human biology at Takatsu University and a private practitioner, and Masami Saitou, a musician. He had two older twin sisters, both named Jun Saitou, who were ten years older than him. He was educated privately by Kengo and the staff at the University from infancy, it soon becoming clear that he was a prodigy. The media covered his ingenuity extensively, and it was later made clear by a whistleblower that most of Kengo's scientific achievements where actually made by his own son. In April, at age 6, he joined the Department of Human Biology at Takatsu University and, a year later, he had passed through all of the Universities' departments without any trouble. Soon after, he joined Kengo's laboratory and assisted him with his research of "The Process Towards End of Collective Life", research which proceeded abnormally smoothly. Then, when he was ten years old, his two sisters (both students at Takatsu University and aids in Kengo's research) went missing. At 11, he was promoted to assistant professor, and at 13, his parents both died after which he resigned from Takatsu University.

Then, he moved to the United States and joined the research organization known as the ER2 System, not as a student but as a scientist. He worked under Assistant Professor Hewlett, the one known to possess the greatest mind in the world. However, the time he worked there is considered a dark period in his career, although the details aren't known due to the secrecy of the ER. At the age of 18, he returned alone to Japan, where, along with a high schooler Yaku Kigamine, bought Kuchiha Madoka from her previous owner and began experimenting on her, starting his research on 'how not to die'. But, two years later, he realized that it would be pointless, and abandoned the two. He then went back to the United States, where he started his own organization alongside Junya Aikawa and Akira Kajou, named MS-2. This organization was later absorbed into the ER2 System, thereby creating the ER3 System that exists today. After the merge, MS-2's activities became completely untrackable. While his activities were unknown, it is said he was one of the candidates to become a part of the Seven Fools. Three years after that, he returned to Japan, this time with his two associates and his daughter, Jun Aikawa. Then, while in Japan, he, along with his companions, were murdered. According to Hikari Chiga, it's possible that Jun herself committed the crime. However, even though he is said to have died, he did, in fact, survive, and went on to create the Thirteen Stairs, with the goal of ending the world.

At one point in the past, he had a showdown with the cyberterrorist group Team under the name of Desert Fox, and he was one of the only people to defeat them in a battle of wits.

Abilities and Equipment

• Expelled From Causality: Takashi has been expelled from causality, from the Story, and so cannot interact with the events himself. Thus, he requires his Thirteen Stairs to act for him.
• Drawing Out Talent: Takashi is said to be able to draw out the latent talent and ability in a person, in contrast with the Nonsense User, who obstructs others' talents.

Quotes

• (Takashi's catchphrase) "We'll meet again, if we have a connection."
• (Takashi's greeting for the Nonsense user) "Yo, my enemy."
• (Takashi talking about his resemblance to The Nonsense User) "Hmm. That part is different from the old me, huh ...certainly, it’s as Kigamine and Kuchiha said, you resemble the old me -----it’s not the personality or the appearance-----it’s the soul. Yes. The soul of humanity’s worst."
• (Takashi's outburst) "......Kukkukku........Ahahahahahahaha! So you were the right choice! When we met last time I thought it was possible -----but it was further than possible! There’s nothing further than that! Truly unparalleled! How is this possible?! Not on Hitoshiki Zerozaki’s but on your side! That ordinary looking man whom I met at a insignificant place and by chance ------ Ahahahahahahahahaha! Kigamine, you really really really have a good eye! That’s what I expect from the woman who, without bending, followed and followed and followed after me! Okay, at the end I finally respect you! I will kneel before you! You! Ahaha, you, what are you exactly?! While being an ordinary kid with nothing special----what’s up about all this treasure mixed in your surroundings?! It’s a melting pot of the atypical and different, you truly are hell! AhahahahahaAhahahahahahaAhahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahaha! Pleasant, pleasant! Interesting, interesting! It’s been a long time since something this interesting has happened! Why is the world so interesting, it’s truly a mystery! How murderous and crazy is this universe?!"
• (Takashi after Ii called him by name) "Oops. It's not yet the time to call me by that name---- not yet, it's not yet the time to name myself."

Appearances

• Zaregoto Light Novel Series
• Ningen Light Novel Series
• Seishun Kijinden! 240 Gakuen

Trivia

• His last name, Saitou, means 'west east'.
• His first name, Takashi, means 'heaven'.
• The stats on his card are:
  • Health = 4
  • Attack = 4
  • Defense = 4
• The special ability on his card: Invalidates the effects of all cards in play. This effect lasts forever.