Maria Barcelito

Maria Barcelito (マリア・バルセリート, Maria Baruserīto) is a young sword-wielding assassin working for the Gandor Family. She is featured as one of the leading protagonists in the Light Novels, in 1933: (First) The Slash ~Cloudy to Rainy~/Chapter 2: Spear and Knives and Katana.

Appearance
Maria has brown hair that she ties up in a ponytail, with a rose flower accessory that she keeps in her hair. She wears vibrantly colored clothing, an unusual trait for assassins. By her side she keeps her two samurai swords "Murasamia" and "Kochite". She is described as being very beautiful, with men often mistaking her for an actress, but her childish nature often causes trouble for her employers, the Gandor Family.

Personality
Maria has a very child-like personality despite her womanly looks. She often refers to people as "amigo", meaning friend (such as Luck Gandor and Tick Jefferson). She can be very flamboyant and dramatic in her actions, especially when she is "chopping up people" with her swords. In her debut as the Gandor Family assassin, she is seen being scolded by Luck Gandor because she has taken the task of guarding the casino dancers too far, resulting in the complete destruction of the casino by the hands of her katanas. She loves her blades and is always dying to "cut something up". She briefly falls into a state of depression after being defeated by Adele and Ronny Schiatto due to how they questioned her abilities, but is able to overcome her grief with the help of Tick and Claire.

Abilities
Maria uses two samurai swords (katanas): "Murasamia" and "Kochite", both of which she treasures deeply since they once belonged to her grandfather. She is very skilled with blades, as she was trained at a young age by her grandfather. Her strength is noted to be highly valued by Gandor Family employees, and even Claire Stanfield notes that she has the potential to be stronger if she showed more devotion to her skills.

Biography
Maria is from a small town in northern Mexico, descending from a family of assassins. At a young age, her parents died at the hands of her grandfather, who cut them down for straying from the path of the sword and becoming infatuated with guns and machinery. Maria's grandfather passes onto her the principle of using blades to cut down everything, and thinking of swords as more than pieces of metal. Maria is devastated when her grandfather passes away, as she had promised to be the one to kill him with her blades.

Maria makes her living by carrying out hit missions for mafia families. In 1932, though she is initially hired for a job by the Runorata Family, she decides to join their rivalling team, the Gandor Family. At first, she is treated more like a guest by the Gandors than an employee, but gradually becomes a valuable ally to them due to her strength.

1932 - Drugs and Dominoes
Maria first appears with a group of assassins tasked by Gustavo Bagetta of the Runoratas in taking the Daily Days and countering the threat of Vino. She participates in the climactic battle of the information shop and faces against Vino but is defeated hastily, Vino mocks her beliefs and skills and Keith of the Gandor family steps up in her defence. Maria subsequently is in debt the Gandors and hastily calls off her employ from the Runoratta family to join the Gandors as their guest. Luck places her as a body guard and assassin even though she is not in their employ, she chooses to remain due to Keith Gandor's influence.

1933 - The Slash


A year after joining the Gandors, Maria grows bored with her duty as the Gandor family's assassin and bodyguard after destroying one of their casinos. Luck becomes frustrated that he is not able to control her nor have Keith ask her to take another job. He pairs her with Tick Jefferson and orders them to meet with Jacuzzi Splot and discuss a settlement plan for encroaching on their territory. Maria enthusiastically accepts as this could be an opportunity to hone her skills with her blades. She sits with Tick as he trims some flowers while they discuss their respective interests, before departing for their assignment.

Luck notes the success of the mission as being hard to determine due to Maria's unpredictable nature.

Later on, Tick and Maria discuss their history together. Maria displays confidence in her abilities while Tick tells her of his own falling out with his brother - hence his interest in torturing people in order to connect their 'bonds' to reality. He says that he too will be hurt one day but he wouldn't mind. Maria swears to protect Tick as they press on towards the mansion directed to them by Luck.

Caught up in conversation, they absentmindedly pass the mansion and are forced to enter through the back door of the Genoard estate. There, Maria is confronted by Chane who had heard them breaking in. Against Tick's intentions, Maria challenges her to a battle. They clash weapons for a while before Chane retreats after hearing Jacuzzi screaming. Maria and Tick separate with her pursuing her rival while Tick decides to enter through the front door.

The two reunite at the front entrance of the Genoard estate where Tick catches eye of Tim, the instigator of the meeting. After seeing Dallas' regenerative abilities, Maria is ecstatic at the discovery and cuts off his arm. She vows to keep cutting him until he wishes he was dead, infuriating Tim who wanted to portray the prospect of immortality to Jacuzzi's gang in a positive light. He orders Adele to fight with Maria.

The fight turns out to be equal on both sides until Adele's words starts to break Maria with regards to her skills and confidence. It culminates with Adele gaining the advantage and wounding Maria. Maria, not willing to back down, insists on fighting until Ronny Schiatto intervenes, causing their weapons to vanish and appear in his hands as he was losing patience. Maria is dejected, having lost the chance to redeem herself. Nice throws a smoke bomb a means of escape due to the dangerous presence of both criminal families in their sponsor's home.

Maria and Tick end up at a secret hideout in the midst of a rain storm in New York. Maria has become mellow and depressed due to her swift defeat, but Tick insists that it was not Adele, but Ronny who defeated her. Sadly, Maria apologises for not protecting Tick but he dismisses this and tells her that she is still strong. With the mission a failure, the two decide to return to Luck Gandor and report.

The next day, on their way back to the Gandors, they notice the Genoard home is occupied by someone. Maria decides to investigate yet Tick says it is not safe, for fear of police presence. Maria is greeted by Eve Genoard, who recognizes her from last year when she worked with Gustavo. Maria decides to hold Eve hostage and take her to Jacuzzi Splot in order to bargain a business deal with them. Fang and Eve accompany them to the hideout Jacuzzi allegedly fled to, where Tick chastises Maria's reckless behaviour. Upon arriving, they are greeted by Claire Stanfield and Chane Laforet. Claire recognizes Maria from last year as well and asked why was she still weak, prompting Maria to lash back at Claire. Tick quells the situation noting their relations and they quickly form an allegiance with Eve to find Dallas Genoard and Jacuzzi Splot at Mist Wall, a large building owned by Nebula.

Maria accompanies them and they arrive at the building, where Larvae and Lamia are conducting an operation to kill all Nebula employees on behalf of Huey Laforet. She sees Adele and is still pressured by doubt until, with Tick's convincing, she is able to rise to the occasion and challenge her foe. Adele dismisses Maria as an inadequate opponent until she was defeated by Claire. Adele loses her sanity due to her inferiority complex, and Maria intervenes as she is about to kill Jacuzzi. Finally, Maria gains the confidence and understanding of what her grandfather imparted on her and manages to defeat Adele in skill and combat. She raises her sword to the skies and declares that she too can cut God, prompting the sky to open amidst the rain. The characters claim this to be a miracle but Ronny would know better.



Maria helps Tick carry Tim and Adele to a doctor in New York and returns to their territory afterwards.

Luck, angered that they have not reported in at the right time and had to get the story from Ronny, states that she and Tick will not be receiving any money from the mission. At his suggestion, they go to the Daily Days to sell information. She forms a bond with Tick and wishes to call him her boyfriend (novio in her native language). Their journey ends with the two racing together on the streets of New York City.