Maru

Maru is a technically gifted yangban who guards the Black Tortoise Jewel and fights the human rankers trying to recover it. He overpowers groups of opponents and reproduces part of the black tortoise's power before Grid incapacitates him, prompting a fatal self-destruction. (Chapters 1205–1210)

Biography

Role in Yangbans, Gods, and New Legends

Maru remains balanced on Bondre's ice, then joins the other yangbans in seizing and pursuing the Black Tortoise Jewel. Cheerful even while striking Grid into the ground, he regards strong humans as entertaining anomalies rather than equals. After Hwang Gildong steals the jewel, Maru loses his composure and turns his short spear and close-combat skill against the rankers. Old Sword Demon holds him for ten minutes, buying the others time to recover. (Chapters 1205–1208)

Grid judges Maru technically superior to Garam and prepares for a long battle. A fortunate Earth God activation instead petrifies Maru long enough for Grid to crush him with a single overwhelming attack. Badly broken and facing execution, Maru refuses to accept punishment from a human. He makes the breaths inside him run wild and explodes his own body, ending his life while trying to take Grid with him. (Chapters 1209–1210)

Appearance and personality

Maru wears his clothes open to expose his abdomen, unlike the neatly dressed yangbans around him. He often stands with crossed arms and a bright smile, treating combat as a source of admiration and amusement. That cheer vanishes when Hwang Gildong deceives him. His final refusal to acknowledge human judgment exposes the pride beneath the relaxed manner. (Chapters 1205–1207 and 1209)

Abilities, classes, and skills

Maru combines Shunpo with sophisticated grappling, shoulder strikes, kicks, and short-spear techniques. His skill becomes more dangerous at close range, while three stolen breaths enhance his statistics and create shaking ground, storms, and lightning. With the Black Tortoise Jewel he reproduces a vortex that draws in people and structures. Loss of the red phoenix's power weakens him, and the black tortoise can interfere with his control of its breath. (Chapters 1207–1209)

Relationships

• Grid: Maru pressures Grid with superior technique, but Grid uses the Four Gods' power and a decisive attack to incapacitate him. (Chapters 1206 and 1209)
• Old Sword Demon: Old Sword Demon survives Maru's close combat for ten minutes through technique and unconventional tactics, creating time for the other rankers. (Chapters 1208–1210)
• Hwang Gildong: Hwang Gildong steals the Black Tortoise Jewel directly from Maru, provoking the first loss of his habitual smile. (Chapter 1207)
• Bondre: Maru withstands Bondre's frozen battlefield and helps turn the defense of the jewel against him and the other human challengers. (Chapters 1205 and 1207)

Items

No notable items are documented for Maru in the supplied corpus.