Akitaru Ōbi

is the Battalion Commander of the 8th Special Fire Brigade.

Appearance
Akitaru has short, somewhat unruly dark hair with shaved sideburns and small eyes. He is seen wearing 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 metal face shield, with three slots attached to it. While on missions, he carries different weapons with him, depending on the situation.

Personality
Akitaru is a brave individual, being able to face Flame Humans without fear, despite having no ignition powers. He was also shown being prone to exercise, as evident with him lifting weights during a meeting and doing pull-ups while having a casual conversation with Shinra. Akitaru is also a curious person, as he wanted to see Shinra's goofy grin with his own eyes and later asked the boy his reasons for joining the brigade. He is also confident in his team-mates, as evident with him telling Shinra that he'll be cheering for him in the sidelines during the boy's participation in the upcoming Fire Officer Newcomer Tournament.

Plot
Akitaru, alongside the rest of the 8th Special Fire Brigade, arrive to save a train station from the Flame Being. Once there, the man orderes Shinra to get back and asked Iris to begin the prayers. He then moves in for an attack, but instead gets a fireball sent at him, which is intercepted by Maki. Akitaru then strikes the threat for the kill with the Core Annihilating Pilebunker, delivering the finishing blow. After the battle, when Shinra saves Iris and introduces himself to the group, he commentes on the boy's "Demon's Footprints" to himself. When Shinra arrives at the 8th Special Fire Fighting Church, Akitaru formally meets the boy, while working-out. 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 is. 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. During the night, when the siren signals a threat, Akitaru gets into the Special Armored Fire Engine and moves out, encouraging Shinra to do his best.

Powers and Abilities
Akitaru has a fit physique, which allows him to face Flame Humans without having ignition powers. In battle, he is seen using different weapons, suitable for the situation.
 * — A weapon, composed of a pneumatic or hydraulic piston, connected to a spiked shaft and recoil springs. When equipped to his right hand, Akitaru can use it to impale a Flame Being's core with low difficulty.

Trivia

 * The mask Akitaru wears, greatly resembles Eibon's mask from the Soul Eater series.