Zusco

Zusco was a member of the Venom Mercenaries and the younger brother of Yarera. Joining the legendary Gast Venom as part of his mercenary army, Yarera was hired by the Lucifenian Royal Palace as an extra soldier in the wake of political unrest within the Kingdom of Lucifenia. Raping and pillaging as they pleased, he and his brother unintentionally sparked the Lucifenian Revolution.

Early History
Born in Asmodean sometime during the 5th century EC, Zusco and his older brother Yarera grew up as warriors, Zusco learning swordplay and Asmodean assassination techniques and technologies. The two eventually joined the traveling Venom Mercenaries and worked under the group's leader, Gast Venom. Causing mayhem whereever they went, the brothers and their group became infamous across the Evillious region.

Business Trip
In EC 500, they accompanied Gast during his visit to Keel Freesis at his mansion in Elphegort to negotiate buying the Venom Sword he desired. Instructed by their head to wait outside the premises, the two eventually got bored of waiting and entered the main gates to meet with him. Seeing the mercenary return empty-handed, they ran up to their leader and called out to him.

Gast immediately demanded to know why they didn't wait for him and Yarera chuckled and related the pain waiting for him before asking how the meeting went. Once Gast admitted Keel refused to sell the sword, Zusco suggested they secretly steal it. Gast refused, citing there was no need for that yet and that there were other ways for him to retrieve his family heirloom.They then gave their esteemed leader their support. At Gast's command, the two followed him off the mansion's premises.

Service to Lucifenia
Later that year, the Venom Mercenaries were hired by the Kingdom of Lucifenia to make up for its shortage of domestic troops during the Lucifenia-Elphegort War. Yarera and Zusco took up posts in Lucifenian and raped and pillaged as they pleased under the royal palace's authority. One day, they visited a tavern in Milanais Square and drank heavily. When the tavern owner demanded they pay their tab, Yarera argued they shouldn't have to pay for the bad liquor and the man continued to protest.

After his brother stated that making soldiers defending the country pay was presumptious of the tavern owner, Zusco added that the man should instead be telling them to drink as payment and come again every day. They then continued to argue until Yarera kicked the man in the stomach. When he then told Zusco to leave with him, he abided and the two smiling brothers left the tavern, satisfied.

Zusco later returned to the tavern with his brother another day. Once they seated themselves at a table and Yarera noted the crowd there that day, Zusco agreed before calling for a waitress to serve them alcohol. Becoming drunk, the mercenary began grabbing at the waitress and remarking how he liked her butt, ignoring her pleas. As he started to move to her chest, York punched him in the face. Seeing another woman attack Yarera, Zusco fled outside.

Once he gathered up six other mercenaries, the Venom troopes barged back into the tavern and Zusco demanded she let his brother go. When the woman refused and continued to beat up Yarera, Zusco cursed and pointed out it was six against two; Zusco then saw everyone else in the tavern stand up and surround them as the woman explained that everyone there was their enemy.

Outnumbered and trapped, the mercenaries were tied up and brought outside the tavern and witnessed the woman, Germaine Avadonia, announce the start of their revolution before the crowd in Milanais Square. Shortly after, the revolutionaries threw Zusco and his brother into the Orgo River along with the other mercenaries.

The Pirate's Life
Surviving the ordeal and washing out to sea, the brothers came into the company of pirates and joined the crew. Eventually, Yarera became captain of his own ship, with Zusco as his first mate, and the two led the "Yarera Pirates" in plundering the Hark Sea. In EC 505, the two were offered a substantial amount of money by Abyss I.R. to abduct a blue-haired man voyaging to Marlon. Seeing the money as their chance to get out of piracy, the former mercenaries accepted and the pirate band set out in six ships for the Royal Victoricia.

Approaching the Marlon vessel and assuming it a merchant ship, the pirates fired their cannons at the Royal Victoricia and continued to approach, going at full speed as the ship sank their other vessels one by one. Ramming into the side of the Royal Victoricia, Zusco listened as his brother demanded the vessel give them their food and money and seconded the declaration, demanding they do what his brother said or die.

As, in response, sailors from the Royal Victoricia boarded their ship, Yarera and Zusco quickly dispatched their opponents and Zusco used his wire glove to board the enemy vessel with his brother. Colliding with the mast on entry, he fell from the impact and them immediately got back to his feet. He then, with his brother, noted their blue haired quarry on deck. While Yarera dispatched the admiral of the ship, Zusco came behind their target and drew a knife to his neck; seeing the man reach for his sword, he instructed him not to and waited as his brother ordered the sailors to return to their own ship.

When the man disgustedly asked if he was their objective from the start Zusco confirmed, explaining about the large bounty they'd receive from taking him. The pirate was then distracted by a girl coming on deck and then a woman in red clothes throwing up by the mast. Screaming at the sight, Zusco called her disgusting and involuntarily tried to move away from the mast. While distracted, he suddenly heard his former hostage tell him not to move and the man shoved his broadsword at the second.

Expressing distaste, Zusco returned to Yarera's side and recognized Germaine Avadonia along with his brother; enraged to see the swordswoman, Zusco poised his weapon and waited as she and her companion prepared for their battle. As Yarera remarked that the man had better hope they would somehow make the best of her illness, Zusco added with a distorted expression that they were different from before. He then began to approach the two with Yarera and entered into battle with them. As Germaine and her ally began to succeed in the struggle and they subordinate pirates were captured, Zusco screamed to his brother that the situation was bad and they should flee.

Shooting another wire from his glove, Zusco took Yarera and launched them back to their own ship. As they began to sail away from the Royal Victoricia, they shouted their farewells to Germaine and the blue haired man and ignored the cries of their subordinates. While escaping, the vessel was attacked by a giant ziz tiama and the vessel was pulled under the water without a sound.

Afterlife
After their deaths, Zusco and his brother were sent to the Heavenly Yard and remained there. In EC 998, he and the other souls were pulled back to the Third Period as the ground world merged with the Hellish Yard. Afterward, the two were invited to a dinner party at the Lucifenian Royal Palace held in Princess Riliane's honor and joined the other guests in the Hall of Mirrors. Later during the festivities, Zusco saw his brother collapse and frantically called to him to open his eyes.

Personality and Traits
Holding no regard for the well-being of anyone but himself and his brother, Zusco was a cruel and impatient man and as a mercenary became a blight on the Lucifenian populace. Regularly taking to drink, the man would become unscrupulous once drunk, freely giving in to his lecherous urges around women despite the discomfort of the other party. As his brother' subordinate, Zusco regularly deferred to him rather than act on his own initiative and often repeated his sayings. In addition, however, he held no such respect

As a pirate, Zusco continued to uncscrupulously attack innocents for food and money, as well as holding no sense of responsibility towards his brother's crew members. Despite his later choice of work, he with Yarera shared a desire to get out of the pirate trade and would go to great lengths to get the money to do so. He also felt squeamish about disgusting things, such as vomit, to the point of distraction.

Skills and Abilities
Trained in assassin techniques from a young age, Zusco was a capable swordsman and able to quickly dispatch his foes, making him valuable as a mercenary and notable as a pirate's second. He was also skilled at moving stealthily, able to sneak up behind an opponent without their realizing. Similarly, Zusco was skilled in transporting himself and his brother using his wire glove, having both good aim and skills in acrobatics. As well as this, he had the additional talent in adaptating quickly to his circumstances.

Despite this, Zusco was easily overwhelmed by more skilled swordsmen and usually relied on his brother or fellow mercenaries, rarely taking on an opponent by himself. As a pirate, he also accompanied his brother in making amateur mistakes and was slow witted, deceived easily by Abyss I.R.

Character Connections
Yarera: Zusco's older brother. Zusco was always subordinate to his brother and seconded all his efforts, the two of them sharing a close sibling relationship. Complimenting Yarera's strength with his stealth and acrobatics, Zusco acted as a useful partner to Yarera during his battles.

Gast Venom: Zusco's superior in the Venom Mercenaries. Although content to follow Gast's direction whenever he gave it, Zusco with Yarera took a laxed approach towards following Gast and didn't show him any particular respect.

Germaine Avadonia: Zusco's opponent. After their humiliation and near-death at Germaine's hands at the start of the Lucifenian Revolution, Zusco and Yarera both harbored a desire for revenge against the revolutionary leader and so became enraged to see her once again.

Curiosities

 * Zusco is described as being significantly smaller and thinner than Yarera, while also wearing impressive armor during his days as a mercenary.