Background

History

Shinako lived a normal life until the first Neighbor invasion. During the invasion, her home was destroyed. She was hit in the eye by a piece of falling debris, leaving a long scar and causing her to lose her sight in her left eye. Her father was buried in the debris, and he died. Her mother, who was in Border at the time, became obsessed with destroying Trion soldiers. One day, Shinako stole her mother's Trigger and secretly went into the Forbidden Zone, thinking she could help her mother by defeating Trion soldiers. A Gate opened, and a Trion soldier emerged. Shinako tried to activate the Trigger, but she didn't know how. She accidentally dropped the Trigger holder, and it was smashed by the Trion soldier. Her mother found her and tried to escape with her. However, the Trion soldier tried to attack Shinako. Shinako's mother pushed her out of the way, taking the blow herself. She was fatally injured, and in her last moments, she created a Black Trigger for Shinako. Before her life force was gone, she told Shinako how to use it and told her to survive. Shinako put the Black Trigger, a black choker necklace, on and activated it. With its power, she fought the Trion soldier and somehow defeated it. She then passed out from exhaustion and was found by Jin Yūichi.

She was taken to Headquarters, and the Upper Management attempted to take the Black Trigger from her. She wouldn't let them, though. In order to keep her Trigger, she joined Border as a combatant. Wanting to get revenge against the neighbors for both her father and her mother, she quickly associated with the Kido faction. She was classified as an S-Rank agent because of her Black Trigger, and she was trained by Jin. Two years later, her friend from school, Morimi Kazue, joined Border and convinced Shinako to form a team with her. In order to be considered a normal agent, Shinako began training using Kogetsu, and she asked Tachikawa Kei to help her. After forming the unit, they were later joined by Hanai Sumika and Ikari Mayu, and Shinako became the leader. They rose through the ranks, and eventually rose to be the 9th ranked A-Rank Unit. Shinako rose to the rank of No. 5 Attacker with Kogetsu. While her teammates have no personal grudge against Neighbors, Shinako dedicated herself to destroying all Neighbors to get revenge for her parents.

Border Saga

Introduction Arc

Ariyoshi Unit is on defense duty when a gate appears at the end of their shift. They quickly take down the Trion soldier. As they decide to head back to HQ, Shinako tells her unit to leave without her, as Jin had asked her to come to Tamakoma to see his new kōhai. Kazue seems worried that Shinako is going to Tamakoma, to which Shinako replies that she hates Neighbors, not Tamakoma. Shinako goes to Tamakoma to find Jin not there. She heads to the training rooms to watch the new members train with their mentors. The trainees and mentors come out for lunch, and Shinako is introduced to the new members. When the Tamakoma members explain to Yūma what a sandwich is, Shinako questions whether he has never seen a sandwich. They explain that he is from overseas, to which she confusedly says that she is sure they have sandwiches in most places. Usami changes the subject and talks to Shinako about her defense duty. Shinako says that most of the top teams were gone on expedition, and that she wishes she could have gone so she could exterminate more Neighbors. Usami nervously tries to say that Shinako has never met a Neighbor, so she doesn't know if they are all bad. Shinako angrily tries to leave the room, but she is stopped by Jin entering. Jin sees that she's angry and takes her outside. Shinako says that she thinks she just shouldn't come to Tamakoma anymore, as it's not good for anyone. Jin asks what she thought about his new kōhai, to which she replies that she thinks they have potential. She even says that Yūma reminds her of herself in the way that he is always looking for a challenge. Jin tells her that Yūma is a Neighbor, and Shinako gets upset. She was conflicted, as despised Neighbors, but she had felt a certain fondness towards Yūma. She goes home, still angry and confused.

That night at dinner, Shinako broodily picked at her food instead of eating it. She asks her team if they think she's wrong about Neighbors, and Mayu asks why she's questioning herself now of all times. Shinako tells them that Yūma is a Neighbor. She says that he was like a human, and she wondered if she was wrong about Neighbors. Mayu asks if she thinks there are other Neighbors like Yūma. Shinako fell silent, then stormed out of the room. The next day, Shinako spent the day in the training rooms. When Kazue went to find her, she had been in there for five hours.

Black Trigger Capture Arc

Ariyoshi Unit is ordered to capture Yūma's Black Trigger along with the other top teams. Shinako was stunned when she received the order, and she wondered how she was supposed to carry out the order. Commander Kido gave her permission to use her Black Trigger, which only made her more nervous. That night as the top teams departed for Tamakoma, Kazue quietly asked Shinako if she really wanted to go through with it. Shinako said it was too late to go back. When Jin intercepted them along with Arashiyama Unit, Shinako realized how much Jin was doing to protect Yūma. As the teams split up, Shinako attacked Kikuchihara, cutting off his arm. She ordered Kazue and Sumika to help Arashiyama unit while she joined Jin. She activated Baratoge, and she and Jin fought against Tachikawa and Kazama Unit.

After the top teams are defeated, Jin and Ariyoshi Unit go back to Tamakoma. They know they can't return to HQ, so Ariyoshi Unit decides to stay at Tamakoma until they decide what to do. As introductions are made, Shinako is distracted. She wonders if she made the right choice by defending Yūma. She silently leaves to go to her room, to everyone else's confusion. Later, Jin comes to talk to her. She is hesitant to share her feelings, but she reluctantly does. She tells him that since meeting Yūma, she thinks her beliefs about Neighbors might be wrong. She says that she has held onto that belief for so long, so it's hard to let go of. She says she is a traitor to HQ now, and she has nowhere to go. He suggests that she joins Tamakoma. She says she could never, as she was about to raid it and attack Yūma. Jin says that she made the choice not to, which shows that she's matured a lot.

The next day, Shinako decides to talk to her unit about switching branches. She tells them that she is going to switch branches, as she can't stay in HQ anymore since she's a traitor and surely hated. She says that they don't have to follow her, and that if they just say they were following her orders, they might not get in as much trouble. Kazue cuts in and days that they weren't just following orders; They believed in what she was doing. She says that Shinako is their leader, and they'll follow her anywhere. Shinako helps Rindō fill out all the paperwork, and they officially transfer. Rindō says that while Commander Kido was allowing her to transfer branches, there was one condition: As punishment, she had to give up her Black Trigger, and she would have usage points deducted. He said she would get her Black Trigger back, but it would be up to Kido as to when. She agrees, saying she thinks that transferring is what's best for her team. Rindō says her mother would be proud of her.

At breakfast the next day, Sumika asks Shinako where Baratoge is, as she usually has it on. Shinako calmly explains that she gave it up so that they could transfer branches. Kazue gets angry, calling Shinako an idiot. Shinako argues that she did it for them. She says that it's something that she has to live with, not them, so they shouldn't worry about it.

Border Enlistment Arc

After being deducted usage points, Shinako falls from being the No.04 Attacker to the No.05 Attacker. During Yūma and Chika's enlistment, Shinako has defense duty, so she can't go to support them. After the enlistment, Mayu makes a feast to celebrate. Ariyoshi Unit reminisces on when Mayu made a feast for when they became an official unit, and one for when they reached A-Rank. They note that it's been a year since they became A-Rank.

Large-Scale Invasion Arc

Shinako and Kazue are eating lunch on the roof with their friend when they get the announcement from Border to report to battle. They transform into the Trion bodies and immediately head out. Shinako tells Mayu to direct them to the nearest Trion soldier, and she tells Sumika to meet them there. They reach the first Trion soldier, a Marmod, and destroy it quickly. Mayu then tells them that there is a wave of nine Trion soldiers coming their way with more coming afterwards. She says that they must beat the first wave quickly, or the second wave might continue on towards the city. She says they have eight minutes until the second wave arrives, and Sumika is still two kilometers away. Shinako and Kazue begin fighting. Kazue splits off to lure the other Trion soldiers out. When she comes back, there are still three Trion soldiers left, and they are being very defensive. There is thirty seconds left, and they question what to do. Suddenly, three sniper bullets whiz through, piercing each soldiers' weak point. Sumika comes out, and Kazue complains as to why she waited until the last second. Mayu then says that the second wave had been taken out by another unit, and Hanai Unit emerges. Shinako asks Kiyoshi what they should do, but Kiyoshi says that she is Ariyoshi Unit's leader, not him. He says they have to meet up with the other B-Rank teams, so Ariyoshi Unit will be on their own. Shinako decides that they will intercept the other Trion soldiers in the area.

As they fight more Trion soldiers, Shinako remembers what Jin told her a few days before. He told her that something bad would happen to Kazue during the invasion. Shinako is terrified, as she thinks it will be her fault if Kazue gets hurt. After finishing fighting a group of Trion soldiers, Mayu tells them that there is another Trion soldier approaching, faster than she had ever seen before. It was one of the Rabbits. They defeated it, but Shinako senses that something is wrong. Suddenly, a Rabbit drops down in front of Kazue. Shinako shoves Kazue out of the way, and the Rabbit takes her and puts her in its chest cavity. Kazue and Sumika manage to defeat it without her, and when they break the Rabbit open, they find that Shinako was turned into a cube. They take her back to HQ, where she is turned back to normal by the engineers.

Despite the engineers' protests that she was running out of Trion, Shinako leaves to return to Tamakoma. She defeats a few Rabbits and other Trion soldiers on her way back. When she gets there, she goes to the operation room to get her Black Trigger, which Mayu was holding onto just in case. Mayu tries to stop Shinako from going back out, but she says that she can't just sit and do nothing. She leaves and begins to fight any Trion soldiers she sees. She defeats many of the Rabbits before she was told by Mayu that Karasuma had activated Geist against a humanoid Neighbor. She goes to support him, but she gets there right as he is defeated. She fights against Hairein and Mira, but she eventually runs out of Trion and is severely wounded by Mira's Trigger. She falls unconscious as Kazue and Sumika come to save her.

Shinako wakes up in the hospital with Jin, Kazue, and Sumika in her room with her. They tell her she suffered from severe blood loss, two broken ribs, and a concussion. Shinako sees a table covered in gifts, and she is told that they are for her from people in Border. She is confused, as she thought people in Border hated her. She says she didn't do anything worthy of recognition, as all she did was "get turned into a cube then nearly get killed." Kazue yells at her, saying that she's wrong. She says that Shinako saved her life. Kazue and Sumika leave to get MAyu, leaving Shinako and Jin alone. Jin apologizes for not being able to see her future clearly, saying that he could have prevented her injuries had he known. He says she was unconscious for a week. She tells him not to blame himself because even if he would have told her she would get hurt, she still would have fought.

After she is released from the hospital, Rindō comes to speak to her. He says that Kazue told him that Shinako was feeling down ever since the invasion. Shinako says she isn't sure if she made the right choice to fight against the humanoid Neighbors. She says she feels like a burden now that everyone is taking care of her. She asks him if her mother would have fought, and he says she would have. He says she could never stand by and watch, and he says that Shinako is like her in that way. Shinako tries to give Baratoge back to him, but Rindō tells her that Kido decided to lift her punishment. However, she says that she may not be the right person to wield it, since she first used it against her fellow agents then almost got killed using it. Rindō says that there aren't many people that can use it the way her mother would have wanted, which is why there are so few people that are compatible with it. He says she uses it unselfishly. He tells her that not many people would do what she did in the invasion, which is why she is the best fit for Baratoge.

B-Rank Rank Battles Arc

Attack on the Ship

Shinako is in the operation room with the other top Attackers as they wait for the invasion to begin, but she is not allowed to fight because of her injuries. She plays cards with Tachikawa, Jin, and Konami to take her mind off of things. They stop when Jin tells them the enemy is coming. Shinako overhears Jin telling Konami that he saw a future where Tachikawa gets cut down. Shinako gets angry at him for not telling her, as he always tells her things like that as soon as he sees them. She thinks he didn't tell her because she wasn't fighting.

Shinako watches the top four Attackers fight the two humanoid Neighbors. She says they need support, but Shinoda forbids her from going. She sneaks out of the room and heads to the hangar where the ship is, where the fight is happening. She uses Senkū Kogetsu to take out all of the dog Trion soldiers, then jumps down to join the fight. Kazama tells her to help Tachikawa and Konami. She works with Konami to create openings for Tachikawa. They manage to defeat the Neighbors.

After the invasion is over, Shinoda scolds Shinako for sneaking out. When he leaves, Shinako says that he didn't need to get so worked up. Jin says that he was just worried, like everyone else, and she should just let them worry. She says it's his fault that she fought. She says that he was so sure that she wasn't going to fight, so she wanted to prove that she could fight. He says that he knew that she would fight, and he was hoping that she wouldn't plan anything if he didn't tell her anything. He says he was hoping that she would listen to Shinoda, but of course, she didn't. He says that he told Shinoda to let her go if she tried to sneak out, as it would only cause more problems if he tried to stop her.

Rank Battles

After the invasion, Shinako and Jin helped Mayu prepare a meal to celebrate Tamakoma Second's victory. Shinako tells them not to get cocky because their plan with the wires worked, as other units will be preparing ways to counter it. When she is told that they will be facing Ikoma Unit, she says she hasn't seen Ikoma in a while. Mayu explains to Tamakoma Second that Shinako and Ikoma are rivals, and Jin says that the two are considered the best Senkū Kogetsu users among the Attackers. Shinako says that Ikoma is better than her at using Senkū Kogetsu. She says even though he seems like an idiot, he knows what he's doing.

During the Rank Battles, Shinako and Kiyoshi serve as the color commentators for the match between Narimatsu Unit, Suzunari First, and Yuba Unit.

As the Rank Battles continue, Shinako begins to help Rindō with his paperwork, and she even starts helping Shinoda and Kido. Even though she is still injured, she is working very hard and tiring herself out. Everyone is worried about her. One day, Kazue tries to stop her. Shinako says she'll stop after giving some papers to Rindō, but she ends up collapsing. After that, Shinako was banned from taking on too much work.

The New Member

Since the recent invasion, Shinako has been worried about her unit. Without her there to protect them, she worries that they might get hurt. She knows they are strong on their own, but she still worries. Recently, Imera has been training with Border's Triggers, and she has been sparring with Kazue. The Neighbor has been getting along well with Ariyoshi Unit, and she has become quite close with them. Seeing this, Shinako decides to ask Imera to join Ariyoshi Unit. She explains to the Neighbor that she has no family left, but the members of Ariyoshi Unit have become her family. She asks if Imera will help her protect them, and Imera agrees. Shinako wonders if she made the right choice. She can't help but be a little wary of Imera, but she tells herself that this is what's best for her unit.

Shinako requests a meeting with Upper Management to ask if Imera can join Ariyoshi Unit. She says since they are an A-Rank unit and are tasked with the hardest missions, they should have as many members as possible. She says that she trusts Imera, and she will take responsibility if anything goes wrong. Kido allows it.

Relationships

Ariyoshi Chiho

[ Little Rose || Okāsan ]

Shinako and her mother were very close before she died. Chiho called Shinako her "Little Rose" (小バラちゃん Kobara-chan). Shinako idolized her mother and always wanted to help her in any way she could. This led her to steal her Trigger holder and enter the Forbidden Zone. She thought that she could help her mother by destroying Trion soldiers. However, Chiho died protecting Shinako from a Trion soldier that came out of a gate. She left behind a Black Trigger, Baratoge. Shinako blames herself for her mother's death, and this was what caused her to become the cynical person she is now.

Morimi Kazue

[ Shina-chan || Kazue ]

Shinako and Kazue met when Kazue transferred into Shinako's class in their second year of junior high. Shinako was the first person to tolerate Kazue's tendency to speak her mind, so Kazue latched onto her. Since then, they have been nearly inseparable. They always support each other, and they know nearly everything about each other. In battle, they are a fearsome duo with incredible coordination. They are near perfect opposites, but there is balance in their friendship. Kazue tries to get Shinako to be more open, Shinako helps Kazue think rationally. Kazue teases Shinako a lot, and she is one of two people (the other being Jin) who are brave enough to do so. She knows that Shinako used to be a cheerful girl before her parents died, a fact that was told to her by their classmates. Kazue is trying to get Shinako to open up and revert back to that cheerfulness.

Hanai Sumika

[ Shinako-senpai || Sumika ]

Shinako and Sumika technically met when Shinako saved Sumika from a Trion soldier four years ago. However, Shinako doesn't remember that, or at least she claims she doesn't. Because of this, Sumika came to idolize Shinako, and she joined Border because of her. At C-Rank enlistment, Shinako observed the younger girl's abilities as a Shooter, but quickly realized she would be better off as a Sniper. She approached the girl and proposed that she team up with her and Kazue as a Sniper. While Sumika was ecstatic that her idol was asking her to be on her team, she was also angry because she didn't think she should be a Sniper. She wanted to be directly involved in combat as a Shooter. However, she eventually accepted the offer. Since then, her respect for Shinako has only grown, and she even sees her as an older sister figure. Shinako does her best to look out for Sumika, and she tries to teach her how to be responsible.

Ikari Mayu

[ Shinako-chan || Mayu-san ]

Shinako and Mayu met after Mayu was introduced to Sumika. Shinako respects Mayu and appreciates all the work she puts in for the unit. She relies on the Operator a lot and finds solace in her practical and reasonable behavior, since the other half of the unit is "loud," as she puts it. In return, Mayu also relies on Shinako a lot. She has great faith in Shinako's ability as a leader and as a combatant. Shinako goes to Mayu for advice quite a bit, especially when it comes to big decisions affecting their unit.

Jin Yūichi

[ Shinako || Jin-san ]

Shinako respects and trusts Jin a lot, almost seeing him as somewhat of an older brother. Jin was the one to mentor her and teach her the ways of Border. He feels a bit responsible for her since he was the one that found her and brought her to Border. He looks out for her. He knows she is easy to embarrass, so he teases her a lot. He is one of two people (the other being Kazue) who are brave enough to do so. She is easily frustrated by him, often leading her to call him "the worst." In the end, they are very close, and Shinako comes to him for advice more than anyone else.

Imera

[ Onēsama || Imera ]

Shinako was a bit wary of Imera at first not only because she was a former enemy, but also because she was still struggling with her beliefs about Neighbors. She began to warm up to the Neighbor after seeing her cheerful nature, which reminded her of Kazue. After Shinako broke her rib in the second large-scale invasion and was kept from work, she went to the Upper Management and asked them to allow Imera to join Ariyoshi Unit, saying that she would take responsibility if anything bad happened. Ever since then, Imera has had an immense amount of respect for Shinako, looking up to her as her older sister in the absence of Nychta, her foster sister. She even calls Shinako "Onēsama," something that confused Shinako for a long time.

Mikumo Osamu

[ Ariyoshi-senpai || Mikumo ]

Mikumo respects her and admires her skill in battle. Because of her leadership abilities, Mikumo looks up to her and tries to learn from her. He has gone to her for leadership advice before. She was surprised that someone came to her for advice, but she still did her best to guide him. She sees that he has great leadership potential, so she tries to help him as much as she can.

Kuga Yūma

[ Ariyoshi-senpai || Yūma ]

Before Shinako knew that he was a Neighbor, she had a high opinion of Yūma. After finding out that he was a Neighbor, she was unsure how she should feel about him. While she knew he wasn't a bad person, she couldn't forget that he was a Neighbor. Essentially, meeting him was the catalyst that caused her to "betray" HQ and transfer to the Tamakoma branch. Now, Shinako always stands up for Yūma when he is questioned, and she is confident in his abilities. Yūma respects her abilities as an Attacker and often asks her to spar with him. Yūma likes to tease Shinako about her relationship with Jin, as he knows it is one of the things that most easily embarrasses her.

Konami Kirie

[ Ariyoshi || Konami ]

Shinako and Konami are the same age, and they get along well. They have a bit of a rivalry since they are both top female Attackers, but they are good friends. Konami's loud and hot-headed personality overwhelms Shinako more often than not. Konami thinks Shinako is too serious sometimes, and she has mentioned that she doesn't like playing cards with her because her face is "unreadable." Shinako is one of the only people who doesn't make fun of her gullible nature—at least not as much as everyone else—so Konami looks to her for backup when these situations arise.

Tachikawa Kei

[ Mekkachi || Tachikawa-san ]

Tachikawa once mentored Shinako when she was first learning to wield Kogetsu. She picked up the double Kogetsu style from him, and he also trained her in using Senkū. Her style of fighting is reminiscent of his. They are still on good terms, and she still asks him to have solo matches with her occasionally. She averages four wins out of ten against him. He teases her by calling her "One-Eye" (片目 Mekkachi), which used to make her angry, but she has become desensitized to it.

Ikoma Tatsuhito

[ Ariyoshi || Ikoma-san ]

They are rivals, as they are both skilled Kogetsu and Senkū users. They both respect each other, and they have frequent matches against each other, which commonly end in draws. Shinako has even conceded that Ikoma might be a better Senkū user than her. She has asked him to help her train in the past. They have a friendly relationship (as friendly as Shinako can get). Ikoma has once said that he finds Shinako cute, but he has also said that he is a bit scared of her when she gets serious.

Kido Masamune

[ Shinako || Kido-san ]

Kido and Shinako's mother were friends even before the old days of Border, so Kido has known Shinako since she was a small child. After Shinako's mother's death, Kido began to look out for Shinako. He allowed her to keep her Black Trigger when she asked. After "betraying" HQ, Shinako felt guilty because she knew she disappointed Kido. Even since then, people have said that Kido has a soft spot for Shinako.

Hashizume Miori

[ Ariyoshi-senpai || Hashizume ]

Miori thinks Shinako is really cool. She has heard about her days as an S-Rank agent, so she really wants to see Shinako use Baratoge. After Shinako "betrayed" HQ and was labeled as a traitor, Miori did her best to stick up for her and defend her. Shinako is really grateful for this, and she has been fond of the younger girl ever since then.

Akahoshi Miyuki

[ Shinako-chan || Akahoshi-san ]

Miyuki is quite fond of Shinako. Miyuki looked out for Shinako when the younger girl first joined Border. Shinako has a great deal of respect for Miyuki, and she think she is really cool. Some might even call Shinako a "fan" of Miyuki.