//Hiroyuki Maekawa

"I see better in the dark. The abyss taught me that."

▸Backstory

Hiroyuki drowned during a failed exosuit trial in the deep-sea sectors beneath nu-Eden. He was recovered and resuscitated, but the experience fundamentally changed him — his body now channels deep-sea pressure and shadow-infused hydromancy. As Retronyx's Strategist, he provides long-range precision fire and battlefield analysis from the furthest vantage points.

▸Personality

Hiroyuki is the quietest person in Retronyx. He speaks in short, considered sentences and never wastes a word. This is not reticence — it's efficiency. Every syllable, like every bullet, is placed with precision.

At 40, he is the second-oldest operative on the team, partnered with Giselle as the veteran core that holds Retronyx together. Where Giselle commands the macro, Hiroyuki reads the micro — the angle of a shadow, the way dust settles before an ambush, the rhythm of a patrol route that reveals its gaps.

His near-death drowning left him with a preternatural calm that unnerves people who don't know him. He doesn't fear the dark. He has been deeper than the dark goes. The abyss gave him back, and he returned with its sight.

He is deeply loyal to Giselle — not romantically, but with the unshakeable trust of two people who have kept each other alive for over a decade.

▸Appearance

Inspired by Yoru (Valorant). Hiroyuki's design is abyssal precision — deep-sea darkness, fluid motion, and the unsettling stillness of something that lives where light doesn't reach.

• ▪Hair: Black, swept back, with faint blue-dark highlights that catch light like water
• ▪Eyes: Dark, almost black — with a subtle bioluminescent blue ring around the iris that glows in low-light conditions
• ▪Build: Lean and angular, built for stillness and sudden movement
• ▪Outfit: Modified deep-sea tactical suit — pressure-rated polymer weave, dark navy/black with subtle hydro-luminescent lines, integrated scope visor that folds over one eye
• ▪Color Palette: Abyssal blues, deep blacks, pressure-white accents — like the ocean floor
• ▪Distinguishing feature: The scars from his drowning — faint pressure marks across his temples and neck, like deep-sea barnacle impressions

▸Relationships

▸Abilities

Passive — Abyssal Sight

Hiroyuki can see through smoke, fog, and darkness. Enemies in low-visibility areas are highlighted. Staying scoped for extended periods builds Pressure stacks that increase his next shot's damage.

Tactical (1) — Hydro Round

Fires a pressurised water bullet that pierces through multiple targets. Each enemy hit reduces the bullet's speed but increases its damage.

Core (2) — Shadow Pool

Creates a pool of dark water at a target location. Enemies inside are slowed and have their vision reduced. Hiroyuki gains movement speed while standing in the pool.

Special (3) — Depth Charge

Launches a delayed explosive that sinks into the ground and detonates after a brief period, launching enemies upward and applying a Drench debuff that amplifies electric and ice damage.

Ultimate (4) — Leviathan's Eye

Hiroyuki enters a heightened sniper state with perfect accuracy and true sight. Each shot during this window pierces all cover and applies both Dark and Water debuffs. Kills during the window extend its duration.

▸Trivia

• ▪Name origin: Named after Hiroyuki Imaishi, co-founder of Studio Trigger and director of Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill, and Promare. Surname "Maekawa" from Nexo's former drum tutor, who was also a bassist. The explosive kinetic energy of Imaishi's animation style contrasts wonderfully with Hiroyuki Maekawa's stillness — he contains that force rather than expressing it.
• ▪Handle: @maekawhatever — the most nonchalant handle in nERF. He didn't put much thought into it. That's the point.
• ▪"Kickstar" was meant to be ironic — Hiroyuki barely moves during engagements, preferring to anchor a position. The team coined it after he kicked open a door during an op. Once.
• ▪Drowned and returned. The deep-sea exosuit incident is classified by nERF. Only Giselle knows the full details.
• ▪Oldest marksman on record for Retronyx. His patience and steadiness come from experience, not temperament.

▸Goals

1. ▪Provide overwatch — Hiroyuki's role is simple in concept and relentless in execution. He watches. He waits. He doesn't miss.
2. ▪Understand what the abyss gave him — his abilities are a gift from something he doesn't fully comprehend. The deep-sea sectors hold answers he hasn't found yet.
3. ▪Keep the young ones alive — Giselle commands; Hiroyuki protects. Different expression of the same commitment.
4. ▪Finish what he started — the exosuit trial that nearly killed him was sabotaged. He intends to find out by whom.