Zarak

"Kentou Kanami"

- on Zarak

About
Zarak is a soldier of the Leazas Red Corps serving in the unit of Lieutenant General Menad Shisei.

While very little is known about his background, he is suggested to be from a fairly well to do family, as he mentions at various points that his father is the president of his own company. While the exact nature of the company is unknown, he mentions that it has been pushed onto the brink of bankruptcy as a result of the war, though as he is stated to have used the money he claimed to have needed to support the company for his own pleasure, it is likely that he was simply lying about this.

Sometime prior to the events of Kichikuou Rance, he entered into a relationship with Menad, his commanding officer. While Menad believes the two of them to be in love, Zarak is only using her to improve his own situation. Their relationship can end in two outcomes depending on Rance's actions. If Rance actively investigates the nature of their relationship, he is able to successfully out Zarak as the culprit when Maris Amaryllis reveals that military funds have been disappearing. He then captures and beheads Zarak, freeing Menad from his control. Alternatively, if Rance is unable to uncover Zarak's true character, he will betray Menad after Leazas enters into war with the Gods due to his refusal to continue fighting. He allows his comrades to rape her to the point of insanity before smashing her skull open, killing her. He then leaves the Leazas Army, never to be seen again.

He has currently only appeared in Kichikuou Rance, and it is unknown whether or not he still exists in canon. Ironically, his role as a person who takes advantage of Menad's self-consciousness about her lack of femininity for their own benefit has been taken over by Rance, though Rance only does so as a means of sleeping with her, whereas Zarak used it to improve his own position within the army and extort money from her.

Personality and Appearance
Zarak shares his appearance with every other common soldier of the Red Corps, wearing the group's standard issue red armor at all times. Due to the helmet he wears covering the majority of his face, his physical features are almost completely obscured, leaving only a frowning mouth recognizable. He is suggested to be fairly young, as no objections are made about the relationship between him and the teenage Menad at any point.

A completely despicable Human being, Zarak embodies the extremely negative traits associated with a corrupt soldier. He is incredibly manipulative, preying on Menad's insecurities about her femininity in order to persuade her into doing things for him while accusing her of not loving him whenever she shows reluctance in following his demands. He is also astoundingly cowardly, and is instantly reduced to hysteria whenever placed into a difficult situation despite being in a position that involves putting his life on the line at all times. Overall, Zarak cares only about his own well being, and is perfectly willing to ruin the lives of others to ensure his own comfort and safety.

Zarak managed to enter into a relationship with Menad by being the first person to ever treat her as a woman rather than as a soldier. While Menad believes the two of them to be in love, Zarak is simply dating her in order to take advantage of her high standing within the army to live more comfortably, forcing her to take out parts of the army's budget to give to him for his own use and making her place him as far away from combat as possible. While their relationship is blatantly abusive to anyone who observes it, Menad refuses to acknowledge Zarak's negative traits due to her belief that he is the only person who values her for more than her strength, and is momentarily thrown into despair following his execution at the hands of Rance until she is calmed down and finally convinced of his true character by her friend Kentou Kanami. In contrast, Zarak sees Menad as little more than a way of making his life easier, calling her "mangirl" in secret, showing that he does not actually value her as a woman like she believes him to, and brutally killing her without hesitation after exhausting his use of her.

Abilities
Despite being a member of the Red Corps, the division of the Leazas Army reserved for elite soldiers of outstanding ability, Zarak does not appear to be a talented warrior, panicking at the first sign of danger and generally being a hindrance to Menad's abilities as a commander. It is likely that he only achieved his position through his family's connections rather than his own skills.

Trivia

 * Despite not having a unique portrait of his own, he is a surprisingly well-remembered character by the fanbase, to the point of having his own card in the Harem Master Trading Card Game. This is likely due to his connection to Menad, herself a very popular character.