Akitaru Ōbi

Akitaru Ōbi is the Battalion Commander of the Special 8th Fire Brigade and a former Firefighter.

Appearance
Akitaru has short, dark hair and small eyes. He wears bunker gear, which consists of a tank top buckled at the waist with a belt, which presses a middle part that's strapped to his shoulders, and dark colored pants. Those are later topped by a protective outer jacket and trousers, and finished with a helmet, which has a face shield, with three slots for breathing, attached to it.

Personality
Akitaru is a brave individual, being able to face Flame Beings without fear. He was also shown being prone to exercise, as evident with him lifting weights during a meeting and doing pull-ups when having a casual conversation with Shinra.

Plot
Akitaru, alongside the rest of the Special 8th Fire Brigade, arrives to save a train station from a Flame Being. Once there, the man orders Shinra to get back and asks Iris to begin the prayers. He then moves in to attack the threat, but instead gets a fireball sent at him, which is intercepted by Maki before it could hit him. Akitaru then moves in for the kill with the Core Annihilating Pilebunker. Afterwards, when Shinra introduces himself, he comments on the boy's "Devil's Footprints", albeit to himself. Later, when Shinra arrives at the Special 8th Fire Brigade Church, Akitaru formally meets the boy, while working out in the process. He then looks at Shinra's resume picture, only to question the young man on his smile, to which Shinra replies that it is a natural face reaction. Akitaru glares at Shinra, causing him to grin, then bursts out laughing, commending on how "cute" Shinra's smile was. After Iris and Maki arrive from their shower, Akitaru teases Shinra about him being aroused by the two ladies. Once everyone gathers together, he begins explaining the Human Body Ignition Phenomenon as well as the abilities of each member of the team. During the night, when the siren signals trouble, Akitaru, alongside the rest of his team, gets into the Special Armored Fire Engine, known as "Matchbox", and moves out, encouraging Shinra to do his best.

Powers and Abilities
Akitaru has a very fit physique, which allows him to fight Flame Beings straight-on, without having ignition powers. In battle, he was seen using a "Core Annihilating Pilebunker" — a weapon composed of a pneumatic or hydraulic piston, connected to a spiked shaft and recoil springs.