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| One Who Wields the Power of God | |
|---|---|
| Name | Hikari Zanna Crux Kouga |
| Kanji | ヒカリ・ザナ クラックス・コウガ |
| Romanji | Hikari Zana Kurakkusu Kouga |
| Alias | "The One Who Wields the Power of God" (神にも等しい力の片鱗を振るう者, Kami nimo hitoshii chikara no henrin wo furuu mono) |
| Characteristics | |
| Race | Homunculus |
| Birthday | October 9th |
| Age | 8 (Daybreak S1-S2) "Something"(Dawn) |
| Gender | Female (Hikari) Male (Crux) |
| Height | 122cm (Hikari) 186cm (Crux) |
| Weight | 23kg (Hikari) 57kg (Crux) |
| Eyes | Blue |
| Hair | Blue (Hikari) Black (Crux) |
| Blood Type | O |
| Professional Status | |
| Affiliation | Shadow Remnants |
| Occupation | Guild Master |
| Previous Occupation | N/A |
| Team | N/A |
| Previous Team | Tsuruko Faction |
| Partner | N/A |
| Previous Partner | N/A |
| Base of Operations | Unknown |
| Personal Status | |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Relatives | Jonas (grandfather) Giselle Mercury (mother) Alphonse Sejren (father) Tsuruko Sejren (sister) |
| Education | Basic |
| Status | Alive |
| Powers and Abilities | |
| Magic | Corpse Shell Black Arts: Infernity Light Magic Junction Teleportation Magic |
| Curse | None |
| Other | None |
| Weapons | Elysdeon |
| Soul Armour | |
| Soul Armour Name | N/A; Corpse Shell: Hades Revenger ( |
| |
Hikari Zanna (ヒカリ・ザナ, Hikari Zanna; Light Fang), more properly known as Hikari Sejren (ヒカリ・セジュレン, Hikari Sejuren; Light Victory) is the name of Tsuruko Sejren's younger sister; like Tsuruko, Hikari was separated from their mother, Giselle Mercury, though at an earlier date. As it turns out, Hikari was created by the Magic Council under Giselle's supervision in order to get a pardon for Giselle killing the previous Wizard Saints, using Giselle's own DNA as well as that of Tsuruko and Hikari's father, Alphonse Sejren, in order to create a "stabilized" Corpse Shell, thus technically making her Tsuruko's sister. During most of Daybreak S1, Hikari is held captive by the Magic Council, as Alexis Tenjouin, under the influence of an unknown force, wishes to dissect her and find out why demonic powers mesh so well with her, and partly to use Hikari's immense power in order to bridge the gap between the Old World and Earth Land. Saving Hikari serves to kickstart Tsuruko's adventure after Giselle hires her to save Hikari, with all three unaware of their relations.
During the Esper Excellen Part I arc, Tsuruko's close associate Excellen Kilekion, with the help with Rune Knight Deen Lhant rescue her due to Tsuruko going into an angst coma because of Gary Straights' departure, and after an argument with Giselle, Tsuruko takes Excellen and Hikari to Luin upon Kinos Sejren's persuasion, where Tsuruko would meet their father's side of the family and have Hikari cured of any demonic taint thanks to their family's exorcism powers. While the Mercury/Sejren/Tenjouin Family's relations were strained all around ever since Alphonse and Elucifer Mercury's wife, Aigrette Tenjouin died, Hikari was a major factor in having the entire family reunite once more at the end of Daybreak S2.
However, during the end of Daybreak S2, Hikari was supposedly killed by Camilla Straights while she bravely attempted to protect a badly wounded Tsuruko and Excellen. In her seemingly final moments, Hikari's Corpse Curse Brand reawakened, allowing the Exalted One of Edolas, Chakravartin, to enthrall Hikari and 'revive' her, albeit in a form which was twisted beyond all recognition, powered by Chakravartin's malefic magical power and Hikari's own determination to survive- although Hikari had no soul in this state, being unable to feel love or joy, which allowed Chakravartin to effectively turn Hikari's new body into a mouthpiece and vessel- Crux Kouga (クラックス・コウガ, Kurakkusu Kouga).
Some time after Daybreak S2 and several years prior to Dawn, Crux became a famous 'hero', just like Hikari had always wanted to do so, following in the footsteps of her older sister. Crux was one of the most lauded success stories of the Magic Council's Human-God Project. A great warrior who was idolized by the public and infantrymen alike for his supreme strength and impeccable discipline in combat, Crux's many successes in the field of battle during the conflicts surrounding the Magic Council's bid for global domination led to his status as a celebrity war hero and the poster boy for the Magic Council. However, some time later, Chakravartin's influence began to assert itself, resulting in Crux going mad, killing all of the higher-ups except Alexis, and rebelling against the Magic Council, enacting a world-wide vendetta against the "corruption" of humankind by starting the Dark Guild, the Shadow Remnants and the main antagonist of Dawn until his defeat at the hands of Jason LaHote.
Appearance
Hikari has the appearance of a young, cute girl at about eight years of age with blue eyes and long curly blue hair. She wears a white short dress under a large green raincoat that has a tail with a pink ribbon attached to it, with a pair of rabbit-ear hood and holds a rabbit puppet in her left hand. Her preferred form of clothing appears to be sun dresses along with boots that match her raincoat.
Crux's casual appearance.
Crux appears as a young, teenage man with soft facial features, a somewhat feminine look and a slightly ovular facial structure. His most distinctive feature is his long, flowing black hair that is kept tied in a single ponytail, but with locks being split apart and falling onto various parts of his body. This is complimented with his light blue eyes and calm, kind facial expressions. Crux is known for his piercing blue-like eyes; what should be noted is that Crux's facial expressions rarely change; his hair does not move, and he does not blink or sweat; all a result of being a homunculi. He is normally seen in an attire of the higher-class. It consists of a large black robe stitched with golden lining, a large red ribbon tied around his waist, a pair of tights underneath, a pair of black shoes and a silver star-shaped pendant dangling near his stomach with a long necklace. Crux is constantly seen with Elysdeon, his seven-foot long katana. His battle stance with the sword is to hold it over his left shoulder with the blade curving downward. Crux usually wields the Elysdeon two-handed.
After the timeskip, Crux dresses in a tattered black leather coat. The coat has a large collar that reaches his ears even when folded back and is kept closed by a black belt with a silver buckle around his waist. Crux's coat has red-violet lining in the front. The sleeves of his coat end in metal rings in place of normal cuffs, and he wears black leather gloves. Crux's chest is exposed, showing that he wears some sort of grey strap around his abdomen with two black belts over it, as well as two brown, overall-esque straps that intersect over his chest. He wears black pants and knee-high boots of the same colour, with two grey belts wrapped around each boot. His eyes are blue and he wears a silver pauldron over each shoulder.
Personality and Traits
- "I don't need a damn reason to save your life, got that!? The one being rescued shouldn't complain!"
- — Crux Kouga, to Tsuruko Sejren
In his past; Crux was always happy and child-like. He would always look up to Giselle, even now calling her one of the smartest beings there is and even eating badly made food she cooked. He was bright and optimistic; treating a person as a member of his family, even if they had only been acquainted for a few moments prior. He would look out for his friends; protecting them with all of his might. Despite his prowess, Crux was largely a pacifist; preferring to avoid conflict if he could do so. He was upbeat and joyful, and several times in Daybreak attempts to cheer up his friends, and when he has made up his mind about something, he would not listen to anyone who told him otherwise.
- "Bleh! You idiot...you sound like a damn self-help booklet! Why do people insist on creating things that will inevitably be destroyed? Why do people cling to life, knowing that they must someday die? ...Knowing that none of it will have meant anything once they do? I'm going to see Mother now. Bring forth...a new era."
- — Crux Kouga, to Akatsuki
After his insanity, Crux became maniacal, short-tempered, flamboyant, destructive, and cruel. He is a psychopath with no regard for life or remorse for the atrocities he commits, and finds amusement in the suffering of others, possessing a complete lack of self-control. He cracks dark jokes at times, breaking out into hysterical laughter upon causing mayhem, and possesses a hatred of everything in the world; Crux's only joy in life came from causing death and chaos wherever he could. What begins as simply a disregard to human life develops into nihilism, declaring the lives of mortals insignificant finding no meaning in things like love and hope, and thus sought to destroy the bonds of existence itself.
However, as with most sociopaths, Crux was able to conceal his true nature with a façade; quite the ladies' man, Crux charms every woman he sees, who in turn give him gifts. He is quite handsome, and approaches most situations hoping to meet or impress any pretty girls nearby. He takes almost every opportunity to hit on Vivian Starrkewolfe, much to her embarrassment; especially with the nicknames he gives her; this has earned him the ire of Jason LaHote, who he considers his archenemy. He is also kind to children; refusing to harm them in any way—the best example of this kindness is in his older brother-like relationship with Giselle Alcide. He usually maintains a calm and quiet demeanor around most people, pretending to be harmless as a 'wandering mage'. He claims to hate fighting and prefers to avoid conflict. This, however, is simply a guise to his true nature.
When people see through it, he shows his true colours as selfish and manipulative; destroying other people's lives and twisting their beliefs for his own gain. He has no qualms with killing those who get in his way, and doesn't seem to show any kind of remorse for his actions; though admittedly, he holds a major soft spot for only Vivian; upon seeing Vivian for the first time since Daybreak, he instantly fell in love with her, having such a feeling for the first and only time in his entire life. He saw her as a being so similar to himself; both being homunculi. In battle, Crux takes every opportunity to upset others by mocking them, deliberately provoking them, or even bringing up and prodding at a sensitive topic; all for his own enjoyment. Despite this, he will not let this sadistic side overpower his own beliefs—meaning he knows when to stop when things go too far.
Crux is not above trying to use coercion by force and brainwashing to convert people to his cause; and he shows no compassion or mercy at all towards his hapless victims, considering them insignificant and pitiful wretches not worth living; he is prepared to gain power and wealth using all possible criminal activities, ranging from drug trafficking and arms dealing to terrorism and illegal human experimentation—additionally, he's also supremely arrogant and narcissistic, with a vast ego, and a penchant for fancying himself as a god. He has nothing but contempt for his opponents and considering himself the truly superior fighter for mastering his demon sword.
Crux has narcissistic traits, being fascinated with the image of himself in the mirror. In addition, he is something of a man-child, referring to fighting as "playing" and treating his foes as a doll to be played with. However, he also harbors a cold and ruthless side when someone upset or irritated him, in which case he starts torturing them excessively; this is seen when Tsuruko, in their final confrontation in Daybreak, told him that she was over "playing", and she was going to unleash her full might. Crux promptly let out an insane laugh and started blasting her immobile body with many attacks. Crux believes that he's the only one with the right to judge the world, and has a deep hatred for it.
- "You god damn fucking piece of shit! You rotten fucker looking down on me thinking my powers can only be used to kill! I'll show you right now! Just like when I saved my old friends back then, in those days, I'll show you that I have the power to protect!!"
- — Crux Kouga, to Alexis Tenjouin
However, after the timeskip, things begin to change. His fearsome attitude suggests that he may be a pacifist; because his power won't disappear, the only way he sees an end to the fighting is to be so strong and sadistic that no one would dare to raise a finger against him. He even seems to attempt to frighten his opponents out of fighting or otherwise encourage them to refuse their battles. After meeting Giselle Alcide after saving her from Alexis's plot, he strives to protect her—although he states he does not like her company, he tolerates her; even to the point that he named her after his mother. He treats Iris in a similar fashion, such as when he buys her lunch while searching for Giselle and by protecting her from Alexis as well.
Crux now has a major beef with artificially created beings; becoming tremendously incensed when he learns that Alexis wishes to create more homunculi; remembering the horrors of the last time the Magic Council had created homunculi, he decides to shut her plans down by force. His newfound desire to protect children at all costs, even if it means taking lives to ensure children are protected, stemmed from his past, and not wanting anyone else to experience the kind of childhood he had. Crux holds distrust for leader figures, feeling that they "[give] big promises, but [are] all talk," only seek to line their pockets with money and maintain their rule, and overall had little, if any principles. This belief was made explicit during his fight with Alexis, when accusing her of only using Operation Magecide to keep her rule over Earth Land, and even called her "another maggot crawling in the pile" if Earth Land had indeed "gone to shit."
Crux has become opposed to killing people who were unable to defend themselves, such as when it is revealed that he had found out where Jason was training during the timeskip, but yet he did not kill him, seeing how happy he was with "that woman". Crux is against killing enemies, if he does not have to, preferring to knock them out or seal their powers if he couldn't simply negotiate his way out of a fight. Crux disagrees with mercy killings, feeling that there was always another reason to live. Deep down, he is someone that aches for the light, as shown when he refused to hurt Momoko after she attacked him and tried to heal her wounds when he saw that she was doing harm to herself via her methods of training.
Even more, Crux is revealed to have a very kind side, which he only displayed to Vivian and Iris, acting like an older brother towards them and being a decent source of advice and wisdom; in fact, the two are surprised to actually see their sworn enemy helping them. In some cases, he got them out of trouble, including helping out Iris when she wants to find a way to save Vivian, and preventing them from destroying one another when they are tricked by Kagemusha into fighting each other. In fact, he cries tears of joy once he meets Tsuruko once more, hugging her like a younger brother would his older sister. Crux seems to have mellowed out to the point that he often lectures others, trying to prevent them from getting themselves killed. This side of his personality has come about by memories of his pre-insanity years being roused, remembering the warmth and kindness he was exposed to.
History
Crux Kouga was the very first homunculi created by the Magic Council; specifically, Giselle Mercury's Human-God Project. As an artificially created fetus, the scientists of the Magic Council were capable of injecting cell samples of Origin, one of the two Exalted Gods, into Crux, before utilizing an ancient magic to animate the fetus. Crux was aware since childhood he was different from the other children, although he did not know the reasons why until several years later. The lead scientist, Giselle Mercury was tasked by Doma to become a teacher for homunculi as she has a teaching license. Giselle treated Crux like a son, who was always happy and child-like. He would always look up to Giselle, even now calling her one of the smartest beings there is and even eating badly made food she cooked. With that, Crux was known to be truly happy.
However, this time was not meant to last; as while Crux and Giselle had forged a bond similar to that of an actual son and daughter, and Giselle planned on escaping the Magic Council with Crux. Guran Doma immediately fired Giselle and had her expelled from the country, leaving her constantly on the run, forcing her to leave Crux behind with the people who forced him to undergo various experiments; deeply warping his psyche. However, despite this trauma, Crux managed to hold on via pure willpower, and his interactions with the other homunculi made him decide that he would raise them as his "family", as Giselle wanted. The Magic Council turned Crux into their own attack dog; their own super soldier, proving to be incredibly strong, gaining worldwide fame for his exploits such as his role in the Magic Council's victory against the Balam Alliance.
Sometime after, Crux Kouga and Tsuruko Sejren became close friends; Tsuruko served to ease Crux's pain about his mother, becoming a trusted companion and close associate. In what would become his final mission, Crux is ordered to inspect the Magic Reactor in Hargeon. He enters with Tsuruko. At the reactor, Crux finds several pod-like chambers containing monstrous creatures, apparently former humans, mutated by exposure to pure magic. Deeper inside, he finds a larger chamber labeled "ORIGIN" containing a feminine-looking creature. When Tsuruko suggests a connection between the homunculi and the creatures in the tanks, Crux flies into a rage, horrified the reason he is "different" and "special" may be because he was created from the remains of a monster.
Dosaman played a part in Crux's madness by telling Crux he was born from the Human-God Project, its goal to produce a "monster"; saying that he was planning to make more "monsters". Disturbed by the fact the creature in the reactor has the same name as a god, and by the idea he might have been created in an experiment similar to the one that created the monsters in the pods, Crux makes his way to the Bevelle Manor that had been occupied by Magic Council researchers, and reads the research notes in the basement library. Based on the reports, he realizes that he is Origin, a deity. However, despite all this, Crux did not give in, and focused on one thing alone—protecting his "family", the homunculi.
Realizing that their last chance was now or never, Crux gathered the rest of the homunculi, and staged a breakout, with the intent of freeing them all and protecting them from the corruption of the Magic Council. However, Guran Doma himself stepped in and attacked Crux, before revealing that all he did was ensure they die a painful death. Despite making his way to them, Crux arrives too late to save his "family" as Doma reveals his power over the homunculi is to kill them should they leave the complex. Vivian is the only one left standing until she collapses in Crux's arms. Doma's intent to break Crux only drive him utterly insane as he thanks Doma for reminding him that mankind are devils; deciding the humans are unfit to live, declaring that he will destroy the universe and remake it in his image. With that, he activates Corpse Shell and destroys Doma singlehandedly, laying waste to the Magic Council headquarters.
With that, Crux headed out to town and destroyed Hargeon, setting the town on fire and killing many of the townspeople, before returning to the reactor to claim Origin's remains to gain the power he seeks in order to enact his plan. He is pursued by Iris Lavra's father, Iris herself, and Tsuruko. At the reactor, Iris takes up Elysdeon from her father's corpse and attacks him, but he disarms her and cuts her down. Shortly after entering Origin's chamber, Tsuruko arrives and attacks him; after being tossed out the chamber, she rushes back in with determination. Caught off-guard, Crux is impaled from behind through the abdomen and collapses. As Tsuruko leaves him to tend to Iris, Crux slices off Origin's head and stumbles from the room. Tsuruko attacks him again, but Crux stabs her with Elysdeon. Tsuruko uses the sword as a lever, hurling Crux into a pool of radioactive magic below the reactor. Noting that he is unable to defeat Tsuruko, Crux vanishes with Origin's head still in his grasp, apparently falling to his death.
Following the Hargeon Incident, the Magic Council seals the records on Crux, declaring him killed in action, and rebuilds Hargeon to cover the incident, populating it with Magic Council employees paid to act as the town's citizens. Several years after, Crux's hatred and rage for mankind allowed him to survive dissolution in the Source of Magic by focusing on his hatred and his desire for vengeance, giving him a strong enough emotional core to maintain his sense of self before Mr. E dragged him out of the Source of Magic; at which point, he started the Dark Guild, the Shadow Remnants, in order to set his plans into motion.
Equipment
Elysdeon (エルシドン, Erusidyon): Elysdeon is the name of Crux's sword; within it, a demon of the same name is sealed; which is one of the Two Primordial Demons that roamed the earth in ancient times. It appears to be a large two-handed sword with an elaborate hand guard where it's glowing core floats disembodied within, and the blade's length shows that it is as long as Crux is tall. However, Crux wields it one- and two-handed. It is a Japanese nodachi blade. The design and colour of the guard and hilt are an elaborate gold; and it features several intricate ornaments, most notable is a relief of a dragon at the endpoint of the hilt. It is slightly longer than Crux is tall; which would make it approximately six-to-eight feet long. Both the sheath and the blade's blunt edge are lined with various runic symbols. The blade of the Elysdeon is reinforced by a powerful alternating current and resonates at extremely high frequencies. This oscillation weakens the molecular bonds of anything it cuts, thereby increasing its cutting ability. Striking, cutting, and thrusting attacks are performed with the blade, with the sharpened edge and point used for lethal attacks, and the blunt edge used as a clubbing weapon. It can also be superheated from friction to be hot enough to sear anything that it comes into contact with. Although Elysdeon resembles a nodachi, it is said to be able to cut through anything as it is even sharper than the Japanese blade and is imbued with tremendous magic. In fact, this is the only thing shown to be capable of damaging the otherwise invulnerable Corpse Shell form of Alexis Tenjouin. The damage caused by Elysdeon generally does not become apparent until the sword is resheathed. Lastly, Elysdeon is capable of sealing anything it pierces. Those who are stabbed by the sword are at Crux's mercy, as he also managed to remove the last fragment of Vritra from Vivian by stabbing and removing it from her body.
- First Form: Elysdeon—Shining Blade (光刃・エルシドン, Kōjin Erusidyon): The Shining Blade form of Elysdeon is a powerful, yet risky transformation; in order to utilize it, he loosens the seal upon Elysdeon ever so slightly, linking his mind to that of the beast as he taps into his power, which envelops him in a burst of magical power, initiating the transformation as his Light Magic becomes a blazing crimson. The eyes, mouth, and any luminescent armour sections glow red; his defensive capacities increase and it also becomes a potent offensive weapon; the ability to project energy using the eyes develops; and a halo manifests. The halo develops into a black hole-like vortex and energy wings start to manifest from Crux's heart. Eventually, Crux's major blood vessels become visible through his clothes, and his heart begins to emit a radiant light. When in this form, Crux's prowess with Light Magic is dramatically increased; as this form cloaks his body in a shining aura. Like any magical enhancement, the Shining Blade Form grants Crux a boost in speed, strength, and durability, effectively making him hit like a freight truck and take hits like a tank, all while being able to maneuvuer easily with newfound speed. The sudden boost in strength upon releasing allows Crux to break free from any attack which binds him or prevents him from moving; and his speed is now more than enough to manifest light afterimages as he darts around at a high velocity. Mentally, Crux can control the "cloak" around his body manipulating it into arms, weapons, and even barriers. The red light produced by Elysdeon are able to be utilized in several different ways, allowing for a high level of adaptability; the shadows are able to be released in freeform, as condensed, or even molded into the shape of a weapon, taking on the properties of said chosen shape. The light possesses a physical form used for destroying objects, blocking enemies' attacks and picking up objects, as Crux shapes his attacks into the form of draconic apparitions, which he can use in various ways. This "cloak" also enhances the magical blasts he commonly releases from his sword.
Sheath-Gun: The sheath of his blade is in the form of a powerful-looking rifle; the rifle's lock and barrel is gray while the stock is a dark red. The stock itself is rather longer when compared to the barrel and lock. As the sword covers and blocks the barrel of the rifle, it is unable to fire normally unless the sword has been unsheathed. Although it is small and light weight, the rifle component is capable of fully automatic fire. The sheathe of Elysdeon has the slightly more mundane use of making its cutting force even higher at the press of a button due to pressurized air in the sheathe. When using the rifle as the sheathe, it can launch from its "sheathe" at the press of a trigger, making his strikes ten times more deadly, and can also be linked to its sheathe via chain so it can swing through enemies and come back to Crux. The range of this component is a subject to debate; while like any firearm, it can be fired at a distance, Crux is generally seen to fire it from close or point blank range.
Powers and Abilities
Physical Abilities
Ways of Combat
Master Swordsmanship Specialist
Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Crux is highly talented in regards to wielding his sword. Extremely powerful, Crux has never been seen holding back his immense strength, making him a powerful and deadly fighter with a distinct killer instinct and has been able to take down some of the most fearsome foes on his own. To best put his skills in perspective, Crux is only person so far who has been able to utterly defeat Jason in combat. Crux favours a far more aggressive style: he is constantly on the offensive, and refuses to utilize any defensive moves in favour of speed and strength; he can counter many of Jason LaHote's Hundred One-Sword Style techniques with a powerful extended combo of his own, even creating a ring of damage just by twirling his sword in a circle. His style is elegant and focused, utilizing balance and footwork to outmaneuver opponents with fluid motions rather than strength, leading to Crux heavily utilizing jabs and light cuts rather than hack and slash movements; overall, his sword style can be considered a phenomena akin to a work of art, beautiful and transient. Crux also has the ability to alter the strength of both of his arms that swings his blade, giving him the ability to befuddle the opponent; and because of his incredible speed and strength, a single swing of his blade is capable of cutting an opponent, even at a fair distance away. When he battles the terrain around him becomes an extension of his sword; from a single sweep of the legendary blade in his hands, howling winds surge forward as incredible tornadoes ripping apart the landscape, a simple stab into the earth capable of causing tremendous earthquakes, upturning entire sections as fissures and chasms spread outward. His swordsmanship is a force of nature itself turning even the surroundings into a raging maelstrom of death and oblivion.
Crux's personal fighting style is focused around swift draws; similar to the art of Iaidō; sword style where the user quick draws the blade extremely fast to strike, then re-sheathing it after every attack. Crux's speed is so fast that he prevents opponents from reciting magical incantations and releasing their powers making it highly effective against magicians, however, if one has no need for incantations or have short release commands, then they could hamper Crux's advantage. Crux is able to strike so fast that the opponent does not realize they have been cut until he sheathes his weapon; slicing up to ten times in a row in the span of a few moments, relying on a combination of power, strength, and speed, always on the offensive, attacking with wide, fast, and powerful swings, performing amazing feats of acrobatics, such as somersaults and backflips, not only for attack, but also to evade the slashes and strikes of his opponents. It is a style of sword fighting that is free in its movements, sparse, restrained, adapted to brawls and to duels, than to the fields of large scale battles. With this style of swordsmanship, Crux takes into account and adapts to the opponent's weaponry, contrary to other ways of battle which taught to impose dominance without taking into account the opponent. his fighting style takes into account the geography of the terrain, the hour of battle, and other parameters. It is effective against ranged weapons and magical blasts for this reason; being almost undefeated. Crux uses his sword not only to defend his position but to also have the "power of adaptability" in facing different individuals, much as a captain must consider the winds and change sails in order to travel in the best direction to reach their objective. It is similar to a hunting hawk, which must constantly reconsider the best trajectory in which to strike effectively. Like the raptor, it is necessary to be able to anticipate, to be able to assess and definitively act. "Move with the mind, in order to move with the body" is one of the central tenets of style. If Crux's sword does not stop the movement of the enemy, then he tries to fit to the opponent's rhythm, thus entering into the mind of the adversary to find their weakness.
- Hattō Issen (八刀一閃, Eight Blades in One Flash): Hattō Issen is one of Crux's signature sword skills; when performing it, he charges magical energy within his sword and immediately teleports towards the opponent; either behind them, or in front of them. From there, he grasps his sword with both hands and swings in all directions at tremendous speeds; unleashing a swift sequence of sword slashes that are so fast that more often than not the opponent cannot keep up; to the untrained eye, it appears as if it is merely a single, godspeed sword slash that strikes eight times in quick succession. While the multitude of attacks are extremely powerful, the deadliness lies in how many strikes the attack deals. Because of the speed that Crux swings his blade, it seems as if he has unleashed these blows concurrently, enabling them to all impact upon the foe's body at the same time. The slashes close on the enemy from all sides to create a prison, allowing no chance for defense or evasion. It should be noted that if the foe deflects one, then the others will surely hit, and due to the close range, if the opponent attempts to escape, the blade will quickly cut them down. A different version of this attack is utilized when Tsuruko fights Crux in Daybreak Chapter. When performing it, Crux charges Tsuruko, uses Elysdeon to fling her into the air, then leaps up, attacks several times and dives back down to the ground to strike again, Tsuruko falling to the ground after he lands. Unlike the regular version of the attack which deals eight separate hits, this variant only hits five times, four of which Tsuruko blocks, and the final blow deals the sum of damage that four other strikes would inflict combined.
- Sonic Stinger (
音速牙突 , Sonikku Sutingā lit. Speed-of-Sound Fanged Thrust): Sonic Stinger is a rather powerful regular sword technique; designed for a quick strike which possesses incredible power. When performing Sonic Stinger, the user focuses their eyesight, assuming a rather unusual stance- they drop into a partial crouch with both of their knees bent; their left arm is drawn back and their right arm is extended forward. The user grasps the hilt of their sword with their left hand and rests their fingertips of their right hand on the blade near the tip; while it's hard to wrap one's head around, once fully understood, the second step comes into play. Once the stance has been fully realized, the user focuses their magical energy into their feet to get a better foothold as well as their wrist of choice in order to augment the strike, thrusting their blade forward after lunging forward while releasing their sword arm, plunging their sword into an enemy- thanks to the position they assume, the blade's movement is bolstered tenfold to the point that it breaks the sound barrier; their sword taking upon a drilling effect with extreme force at high speeds, piercing through many a obstruction and tear through the air itself; more often than not, the power of the impact launches the foe backwards without fail, as the kinetic energy released by the swift, sharp movement of Sonic Stinger is positively overwhelming; however, it is difficult to use this attack during a combo because it might force the enemy away, breaking the combo and giving the enemy a chance to retaliate. The Sonic Stinger is an extremely powerful technique in all senses of the word- not only does it pack a fair amount of strength behind the movement with the blade, it was designed rather strategically, almost possessing no weak spots; though due to the user dashing with the left arm to perform Sonic Thrust, there's only the smallest of blind spots which leave the right side of the user's body exposed; additionally, Sonic Stinger can be launched from different positions, showing that despite the apparent inflexibility of using one attack repeatedly, it has many useful applications, being harnessed from many stances to unleash varying effects; each of them being equally devastating. The Sonic Stinger can also be used outside of combat to reach areas that are inaccessible with a normal leap. - Counter (
魔力集束迎撃 , Kauntā lit. Magical Energy Collection Counterattack): Counter is a Sword Magic spell that enables the user to counterattack to deliver damage to the attacker when the user is hit. Counter is one of the more simple Sword Magic spells in Crux's arsenal; indeed, Counter is not actually related to Crux's version of swordsmanship but rather, it is a Sword Magic spell that anyone and their mother can learn without time and effort. When performing Counter, the user focuses a large amount of magical energy into their sword, holding their weapon in front of them in a wide manner in a reverse grip as if they are striking a rather subtle pose while they anticipate the attack about to be unleashed by their opponent- with their sword in this position, it begins to gather and condense eternano onto the cold steel in order to augment its own protective capabilities drastically. By tensing up and focusing, the user's magical energy shrouds them as a "protective casing" of sorts, causing the user to gain an immunity to flinching and taking less knockback from a powerful strike; meaning that the user can resist a single hit before all sorts of attacks can affect them as normal, thus interrupting this spell's set-up period. In any case, the moment that the enemy's attack impacts upon what would normally be assumed to be the user's body, the stillness of the user's sword neutralizes both the supernatural and kinetic energy released by the enemy's attack, enabling the user to effortlessly resist attacks that would more often than not be absolutely devastating, as their magic-shrouded blade completely negates the effects and blow-back of an incoming attack. After about one second or when the opponent foolishly strikes, any attack other than a grab which the user utilizing Counter is struck by will turn the user invincible by further hardening the protective casing of magical energy around their body for the duration of her retaliating strike, leaving the enemy open for a follow-up attack. If the attack is a projectile, it will simply be deflected behind the user and upwards at about a thirty degree angle. It's worth noting explosive projectiles can still explode and will still do damage if they are struck when the invincibility ceases. Not only does Counter allow the user to immediately counterattack, it returns the original the technique back along its original course. As this redirection occurs both suddenly and unexpectedly, the reflected attack can prove difficult for opponents to evade. The reflection is so swift that it appears as if the user had launched the attack, confounding many an opponent. In any case, the user's counterattack by itself causes no wounds to appear, but simply reverses the pain associated with the wound that the attack would cause to the user onto the opponent. - Tsuihōryūga (追放竜牙, Banishing Dragon Fang): A powerful technique; where the user plants their sword into the ground, dragging it slightly as to send up sparks from the sword, before allowing their magical energy to course through the blade, creating a unique reaction that is caused by the sparks igniting the magical energy, manifesting a whirling mass of blazing flames upon the user's sword. This not only increases the power of the sword swings, but also, the flames burn anything that they come into contact with. The result is being simultaneously burned and slashed simultaneously, giving this attack great power. Lastly, this technique is nearly unblockable as the blazing blade can easily cut through steel. Furthermore, if an opponent is stabbed, the flames spread to their body, causing them to catch ablaze. By swinging the sword, the user can throw the condensed flames against enemies that are far away. Once more, in environments where the oxygen is particularly condensed, this technique can cause explosions, just by swinging the sword towards the hapless opponent.
- Ryūseigufū (流星颶風, Shooting Star Tornado): The most powerful non-special technique of the Hissatsuken; when performing this technique, the user thrusts their sword above their head; swinging it around like a propeller. By doing this, the user gathers numerous air currents and channels them into their sword while condensing their magical power into their blade; once this has been done, the user swings their blade forward, unleashing an enormous tornado with their own might. This tornado is ignited by the user's own latent magical power, causing crackling electricity to form around the tornado, giving it an explosive touch due to the wind and lightning combined, which is only bolstered tremendously as the user adds in flames from Tsuihōryūga into the mixture; creating a mixture of the three most powerful elements. The tornado shoots forward like a meteor heading towards the opponent; all with the simple purpose of destruction; the tornado peaks at 120m/s, with a pressure of 900HPA; essentially possessing enough power to rip an enormous hole in the user's opponent through mere touch. Once the opponent is caught by the tornado, the triple elements decompress; exploding violently and dealing tremendous damage to the user's opponent.
- Hissatsuken Ōgi: Shinzō no Owari (必殺剣奥義・心臓の終わり, Killing Move Sword Secret Art: End of Heart): The strongest technique of Hissatsuken; it is an attack above all others; one that none could hope to evade. When beginning it, the user pours all of their magical energy into their blade, compressing it while gathering stray magical energy from the atmosphere and adding it into the equation. Once this is done, it produces the effect of the user's sword being basked in a brilliant azure aura, with several white wisps of energy swirling around the aura. From there, the moment that the opponent attacks, the user counters by unleashing an overwhelming sword slash which releases a projectile wave of azure light; shaped in the form of a jagged arc. When the user charges this move, it becomes unblockable—however, the user isn't invincible while charging. The projectile wave deals significantly less damage than the initial hit of the super, but luckily the sword slash has great range so typically it's the part that connects. After firing, the path of the blast can be controlled, and it possesses explosive power and speed; it is capable of immense destruction, as shown when it shot through several towers upon the first use. The arc of energy will launch itself towards the user's enemy, ignoring obstacles, ignoring magic, ignoring any form of magical or supernatural defense, blowing through them outright. The only true method by which one can defeat this technique is through constant evasion, since the light will without exhaustion continue to search for its target. Attacking or deflecting the attack only causes it to rebound for a moment before it begins its attack pattern anew, though it can be worn down with repeated assault. This attack strikes the opponent nineteen times; dealing overwhelming damage.
Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant
Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Crux is as deadly when utilizing hand-to-hand combat as he is when utilizing his sword. Crux's fighting style focuses on direct, brutal, unrestrained and powerful hand-to-hand combat, with heavy reliance on his Light Magic. In line with his nature and potent abilities, Crux has adopted a fighting style where he fights his opponents using powerful blows, such as karate chops and roundhouse kicks, to which of his attacks have a significant amount of force behind them. With the speeds Crux can move at, he can disable the opponent through the force of his blows alone, while leaving them at the mercy at his incoming attacks. Having being trained by her older sister Tsuruko Sejren and her older sister's old friend, Charlotte Merquise, whom are both martial arts masters in their own right, Hikari incorporated what she learnt from both women into her current fighting style as Crux Kouga, making Crux an exceptionally deadly combatant who is possibly one of the best hand-to-hand fighters in the Dawn era of the Sun Trilogy. His fighting style focuses on direct, brutal, unrestrained and powerful hand-to-hand combat, with heavy reliance on magical manipulation, making heavy usage of Short Jump and his Light Magic in conjunction with his expert unarmed skills. In combat, Crux keeps his arms and stance steady like a rock; ever so patient as always; Crux is capable of moving ever-so-subtly forward while opponents can only guess how he had reached them in a span of a second. Without sparing the enemy any time to properly react, his powerful arms extend at speeds beyond mortal comprehension, even to those with stupid magic eyes, his nimble forearms and fingers piercing and shattering rock and bone like they were a hot knife going through a giant damn tub of rich, creamy butter.
Crux generally strikes with omnidirectional maneuvers in mind- smashing his opponents up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start; he tends to attack from impossible directions, leaving the opponent paranoid where they'd get conked in the head with his fists next. When in battle, Crux makes most use of his powerful arms and fists to take on his foes, with his specialty lying in punching moves where he uses his fists to their fullest. In terms of fighting style, Crux focuses specially on power, using strong and powerful punches, such as powerpacked jabs or piercing uppercuts, to deal damaging blows to his opponents. Once he catches an opponent in his combos, he keeps them trapped by keeping up his strikes, not allowing his opponents a chance to counterattack. For stronger strikes, Crux tends to build up momentum with his fists by swinging them around, before hitting his opponent with full force. Mainly, like Tsuruko, Crux unleashes strikes in correspondence with high-agility movements, magic or no, dancing around the opponent as if he were a warm breeze that suddenly intensified to gale-force upon landing a blow, keeping the enemy on their toes as he strikes with a wild and brutal fighting style, squeezing the most of what his body can do and his arcane powers, relying on efficiency while serving as an impenetrable wall that if his opponent would come into contact with him, they would defeated in the blink of an eye.
Bāguàzhǎng
Bāguàzhǎng (
The stance of Bāguàzhǎng, known as, well, the originally named, "Moving Stance" (構え移動, Kamaeidō) enables Crux to advance towards the enemy by sneaking with a sight step, and without a second wasted, Crux can shorten the distance between himself and his opponent, swinging his fist mere millimeters away from the enemy, with the sheer kinetic force delivered forwards in motion being released and channeling the full force of his body into a single strike, capable of dislocating an enemy's limb through sheer air pressure. Indeed, he can predict the opponent's next move purely on the brief moment when his arm blocks that of his opponent, meaning that having a blind spot or having an enemy too fast for the human eye to see is not a problem. Thanks to his own sadism, Crux generally aims for the enemy's pressure points with Bāguàzhǎng at astounding speeds before the opponent can properly react, causing the magic channels in the enemy's body to short-circuit and give out leaving them unable to perform any form of magical manipulation, stopping the flow of eterano within their body, reducing their muscular strength, and disables their ability to cast magic temporarily; this is known to be particularly devastating for people who rely solely on their magic to fight- even the most armoured of enemies are not spared from the effects of Crux's fighting style. The disabling of the magic channels in the enemy's body results in them feeling a sharp, cutting sensation while their physical strength diminishes, leaving them extremely vulnerable to whatever Crux has in store for them.
Crux has ability to be able to control the damage done by such means: when he attacked Iris during a meeting of the two, she was still able to move, though not able to utilize her magic; Crux had anticipated that she would attack him instantly, and decided to disable her magic so he could talk to her easier. In another instance, after assaulting Alexis after she revealed that she planned to create more homunculi, she could barely move, she was powerless, and felt pain afterwards; she was unable to heal herself as Crux struck her again, paralyzing her from head to toe as she fell to the ground motionless. Additionally, attacking the foe in certain spots results in the loss of movement in that part of their body, as they lose voluntary muscular function within a region localized around the attack, essentially becoming paralyzed. When he wishes to make sure that the opponent won't be a threat again, he directly targets pressure points in the bodies associated with magic casting, and, by attacking the bodies internally, and by using the silver light as a basis for some form of internal attack, Crux causes near irreversible damage to the pressure points associated primarily with magic arts, blocking any user from their magic, permanently.
- Fa Jin (
發勁 , Fa Jin lit. Hand Power): Fa Jin, also known as Internal Energy Release (脂肪強, Hakkei) or Magical Particle Destruction Fist (魔粒・破拳, Mashi Haken) is an ancient Joyan martial art technique that is a mixture of hand-to-hand combat and magical energies. It was initially exclusive to the Joyan Monks, an ancient cabal of peace-seeking warriors whom would only use their special abilities in self-defense. In order to utilize Fa Jin, the user charges their magical energy into one of their hands, condensing it unto its utmost limit until their hand starts overflowing in pure energy, radiating eternano so brightly that it seems to blind those whom turn their gaze upon the user. Upon unleashing the fist, the user strikes forward with all of their might, unleashing the concentrated eternano upon their fist towards the foe, essentially transferring the user's own magical energy into the opponent's body, causing a powerful surge that grievously wounds them from within; the attack is actually derived from Chinese martial arts. The movement of the attack is essentially invisible, and it truly seems like the user shoots their opponent, except that the resulting impact is not akin to the teensy little peashooter also known as a pistol, but to a small hand-held cannon and powerful enough to propel the unlucky recipient several meters away. The incredible speed both makes the strike far more powerful, and harder to dodge; connecting instantly with the target; the attack seems to strike the target multiple times simultaneously as it erupts in a multitude of shockwaves, and it is capable of slashing the user's opponents and sending them flying away from the user, with enough force to make them fall off cliffs and high places they might be standing on. However, this attack can be stopped if the eternano cannot flow through the user's arm or hand, essentially resulting in a blunt strike that, while powerful, does only one third of the damage that it normally would. The attack can be performed using the user's arms, or even their legs with enough training. Fa jin, fajin, or fa chin (fā jìn, 發勁) is a term used in some Chinese martial arts, particularly the internal martial arts, such as Xingyiquan, T'ai chi ch'uan (Taijiquan), Baguazhang, Bak Mei and Bājíquán. It means to issue or discharge power explosively or refining the explosive power, and is not specific to any particular striking method. Jìn (勁), or "power", is often confused by Westerners with the related concept of jīng (精), which literally means "essence."
Dimension King Style
Dimension King Style (次元覇王流拳法, Jigen Haō-ryū Kenpō; Dimension King Style Fist Way) is the style of hand-to-hand combat developed by Jonas, the Exalt of Earth Land at an unspecified time and place- it is known by very few people in history due to the fact that it has only passed on from master to apprentice. The Dimension King Style seems to allow the practitioner to suspend the laws of physics when fighting, giving them access to theoretically impossible (and more importantly, impractical) attacks such as hurricane kicks and jumping uppercuts; most notably, the upside-down kick. Dimension King Style is, quite simply, the empowerment of the physical body through the ambition that is within it, known as Ardor, and surrounding it. While the concept sounds rather simplistic, the mechanics behind it are indeed somewhat complex, and thus, the application of the fighting style is rather difficult for unskilled fighters. The stance of the Dimension King Style is referred to as the "Heaven Breaking Stance" (天破の構え, Tenha no Kamae); in this fighting stance, the user's left hand is cocked back, close to their face- specifically, adjacent to their cheek in a clawed gesture, elbow pointing back as their fingertips point downwards. Their right hand extends outwards relatively, bent to have their hand pointed to the left as their fist is curled into a ball as their knees are crouched slightly. Dimension King Style is a fighting style that is based on the principle that supernatural powers may exist in two forms - particles and energy. These two states of existence, within magical terms, allows for the sheer versatility that exists within magic today. This is displayed quite evidently by magic that uses the physical body - such as High Speed - which utilizes magical particles to achieve its desired effects, whereas the magical energy is used in most elemental magic, resonating with magic residing in the atmosphere in order to conjure its fantastical effects. In both cases, the magic itself cannot be produced within the body and taken outside of the body, as it must have an atmospheric or bodily medium. However, this trait was annihilated by all forms of Slayer Magic, for they encapsulated biological change in order to allow humans to "seep" out magic from their pores and utilize it to enhance their own physical attributes, strengthening them enormously in comparison to regular magicians who generally approach combat from a mid to long range.
Upon training in the way of the Dimension King Style, the user's body and mind limiters are removed, allowing them to utilize their full potential in order to master the style with more ease. Removal of these limiters allows the user to gain near-superhuman speed and agility, as well as pseudo-clairvoyance which allows them to avoid their opponents' attacks by millimeters with very little effort in order to counter the very instant their foe's strike misses. The average being uses only thirty percent of their body's potential strength, but a master of the Dimension King Style can tap into the remaining seventy percent as well. The power of the Dimension King Style lies not in precision nor some secret ancient mumbo-jumbo, but rather, the user channeling their energy into a single blow, more often than not striking one of the enemy's "Hidden Channeling Points" (経絡秘孔, Keiraku Hikō) in the human body; however, instead of being consistently accurate, the fighter's fighting spirit augments the force of their blow, allowing their fighting spirit to be unleashed as a powerful pressure that will strike the opponent no matter where the user lands their attack. By hitting one of the Hidden Channeling Points, the user generally deals infinitely more damage than they would if they used a normal attack. A tendency of the fighting style is to recite the attack name after executing the attack, causing the opponent to explode- but it might not be enough to destroy them if they're powerful enough. With the Dimension King Style, the user, by striking one of the Hidden Channeling Points, can also heal targets. It can be used to launch energy-based attacks that can be used to strike targets at long range, or, to defend the user from attack.
The amazing power of the Dimension King Style originates from the fighter's fighting spirit and relies heavily on the successful execution of powerful strikes achieved through manipulating their fighting spirit in order to overwhelm the opponent by releasing shockwaves from their limbs through sheer force; these are the simple mechanics of the art. By using fighting spirit in conjuring with their moves, the user can create unique and dynamic attacks that deal destructive damage upon their targets, making the user a fierce force to be reckoned with in combat. Because of their mastery of their fighting style, the user is shown to have almost any physical attack be rendered pointless against them, as it becomes incredibly easy to dismantle some attacks and use them against their opponent, given they do not surpass their own reaction time or power, and negate them; a user of the style is shown to be extremely versatile with this. When using Dimension King Style, the user projects their blows using their fighting spirit itself as a perfect fulcrum, even if it doesn't belong to them or if it's in the field of their vision. This makes sure that there's very few chances of any supernatural defense measures that can hold off the attack—as when utilizing Dimension King Style, their fighting spirit allows the user to view any offense or defense via magic, racial traits, fighting styles, or anything else as just "one thing", and thus, it treats the foe's own strike as a medium for the attack; the power is pure, and it doesn't feel the need to manipulate and control anything that the user or the foe can utilize.
Interestingly, the damage of the user's attacks are bolstered based on how much damage they have taken. This works by the user subconsciously converting part of the damage inflicted by the opponent into determination to defeat the enemy and accumulating it in their body; adding it to the power of their fighting spirit. The efficiency of this conversion into fighting spirit raises the more their own physical strength decreases. The fighting spirit that was accumulated in the body like this can be used to boost the user's abilities; as such, if the user is damaged to the point of being on the verge of death, possibly an enormous amount of fighting spirit enough to destroy everything before their eyes can be saved up. Essentially, the user at near death gains enough extra damage on their attacks to reduce the opponent's survivability by a relatively wide margin, in addition to increasing the radius of most of their moves; essentially giving the user a wider range of attack. Dimension King Style also increases the user's power when they're nearly out of stamina; both these factors combined give the user a relatively large chance to stage a comeback. The properties of Dimension King Style act as a double-edged sword however, where the user's attacks are simply "powerful" when they're mostly fine; as such, the user has to be battered and bloody to fight effectively, where they're then vulnerable to high damage themselves. As such, the Dimension King Style is the epitome of risk versus reward. The martial art rewards the user for falling behind and punishes them for pulling ahead, which makes achieving a close battle a must in any situation.
- Dimension King Style: Spinning Break (次元覇王流拳法・旋衝破, Jigen Haō-ryū Kenpō: Senshōha; Senshō, literally "spin-thrust", is a rarely-used kanji phrase for "spinning"): A unique Dimension King Style technique that Tsuruko Sejren herself developed upon analyzing numerous retaliation-type techniques of all origins- its purpose was that of a technique that could return all sorts of projectiles to sender, being a countering-defensive-type technique. In order to initiate the Spinning Break, Crux gathers and condenses his fighting spirit upon one or both of his hands, compressing it to the point that a mass of crimson remains flowing around his arm/s, spiralling about magnificently. From here, Crux targets a projectile of his choice, no matter its size, speed, or power, while harnessing his burning fighting spirit to influence the projectile barreling towards his slender frame, accelerating its motions at a rapid pace until it becomes naught but a thin point of energy, no longer distinguished between its composition -magic, curse, and other fighting spirit techniques (provided Crux has more burning passion than the launcher in the case of the latter)- but rather, as a mass of energy that Crux is capable of affecting without any problems on his part. Using his immense mastery over all sorts of martial arts in conjunction with his blazing willpower, Crux then grabs ahold of the projectile shooting towards his body by reaching outwards a short distance, seizing the projectile once it is within range, grasping it with his hand(s) without the projectile harming him in any way. At this point, if Crux deems it suitable, he can store it away by absorbing it with his fighting spirit and bringing it out for later usage- but by announcing the name of this technique once more, he can retrieve and return it to sender, essentially taking an attack, but its power is accelerated into a drill that he then guides with his hands, spinning around and returning it the velocity of an projectile just as it contacts with him, before clutching it in his hands. Twirling it around, Crux throws it back at his opponent at twice the speed and force. Projectiles that can be thrown will be held onto by Crux and can be used as normal, such as bombs and bullets. Retrieved projectiles, however, are automatically thrown, with Crux's own power doubling their speed and strength; in addition, they will follow the trajectory they were traveling at prior to being grabbed, such as a Lightning Magic spell such as Raging Bolt would shoot straight downwards and a Dragon's Roar would be projected forwards. Because of the doubling of the power of these projectiles, they can deal much larger amounts of damage, and can instantly shatter all sorts of defenses upon impact- if a stopped projectile normally has an immediate effect when picked up, it will activate immediately once retrieved; this can allow Crux to store things for later use, but projectiles are lost if they are not retrieved after thirty seconds. If Crux is currently storing a projectile within his fighting spirit, instead of throwing the object in his current direction, he will grab the projectile he grabs now and swap it with that which was previously stored within his fighting spirit, automatically throwing what is previously there. As this redirection occurs both suddenly and unexpectedly, the reflected attack can prove difficult for opponents to evade. The reflection is so swift that it appears as if Crux himself had launched the attack, confounding many an opponent. This technique is capable of bending the opposing projectile away from him, as well as some physical attacks. However, the technique is difficult to use has it can only manipulate so many kinetic energy particles at a time and it required precise timing. Thus, this grants Crux immunity to most attacks, and can defend other allies with it. However, Crux is still subject any secondary effects the attack could have. Furthermore there is always the danger that the attack could explode upon deacceleration as well. The Spinning Break is capable of freeing Crux from seals and all sorts of supernaturally restraining abilities. As such, due to this attack, binds and shields are useless against Crux, as it is a "catch-and-throwback" ability that does not break the opponent's attack. Crux had learned this technique from Tsuruko, and after his acquisition of it, it has become one of his most used techniques.
Physical Attributes
Overwhelming Strength: Crux is powerful enough to stop Jason's attack with just one index finger, and almost cut him in half with a single swing of his sword. In the Uprising of Hell arc, he stopped Momoko's Ice Dragon with his bare hand and broke it with one swing, injuring her in the process. He was also able to stop one of Iris's blows with his bare hand, proving his strength was more than enough to combat someone of the same level.
Tremendous Speed: Crux is perceived to be so fast that one cannot discern even being attacked by him until after it has taken place. Crux is shown to easily outmaneuver Jason's Mask of Truth enhanced speed, to the point where he could casually lay a hand on his chest and still dodge a point-blank attack. He is capable of effortlessly dodging simultaneous attacks at close range and evading SS-Class techniques.
- Wavejet Step (
本職使い瞬動・噴射高速蹲踞疾走 , Uēbujetto Suteppu lit. Professional-Usage Instant Movement Technique: Jet-Propelled High-Speed Crouching Sprint): The Wavejet Step is ahideously overpoweredvery useful high-speed movement technique that is classified as a martial arts-based ability revolving around the user's steps that can be performed as long as the user has some sort of supernatural energy fuelling their movements, whether it be magical power, curse power, or even good ol' fighting spirit- but what Wavejet Step is, is a jump that is canceled by descending instantly so that the user never leaves the ground, resulting in a sliding motion that produces smoke at the user's feet and a freakishly swift burst of brief acceleration for three seconds. It is regarded as a high-level advanced technique that only those deeply engrossed with close-range combat that is superior to all 'traditional' forms of speed-enhancing powers such as High Speed and Slowing Magic because it allows the user to perform any ground action while moving horizontally on the ground. In any case, the Wavejet Step is performed by the user ascending to the skies in an extremely short hop that ideally shouldn't have them raise more than ten centimeters above the ground- from here, the user gathers and condenses their supernatural energies of choice upon the soles of their shoes/feet, before they shift a majority of their weight to their legs, descending upon the ground as swiftly as they entered the air, giving off the appearance of never having left the ground- but indeed, upon contact with the ground, the shock of the impact releases an airhorn-like sound as it transfers the momentum that the user had accumulated via briefly hopping into the air into a swift strafing movement of ground-based movement, sliding long the ground without walking or running; resulting in a sliding motion that produces smoke of varying colours at the character's feet. The length of time that a user slides by harnessing Wavejet Step is determined by a number of factors: by the angle at which they charged energies into their feet -with low angles yielding longer Wavejet Steps- how close to the ground they were before charging -the closer the user, the longer their Wavejet Step- and finally, the character's traction -low traction yields long streams of movements, while high traction yields shorter slides. One use of Wavejet Step by itself is not particularly useful; it is when the move is repeated rapidly that it becomes both impressive and supremely practical, and it is capable of being harnessed for a near immeasurable amount of purposes- it is useful for quickly escaping from close combat with an opponent, and it can get a user to the end of an area to the other faster than any other type of movement; the Wavejet Step can also be harnessed in order to avoid anything in the user's way that would impede their movements, enabling each and every one of their actions and movements while under the effect of the Wavejet Step being precise as humanly possible. It can lead into many combos and techniques; and because by harnessing the Wavejet Step, the user is technically standing as they slide, they can perform any ground attacks that could normally be performed from a standing position while retaining all of their standing defensive maneuvers- a skilled user can use another high-speed movement while under the effects of the Wavejet Step as well. A skilled user can take the concept of maneuverability derived from the Wavejet Step a step further, harnessing the techniques to dodge enemy attacks and set up a counterattack; after a while, it becomes instrumental in characters' combos and their defense. Those who are slow can rely on the Wavejet Step in order to extricate themselves from difficult situations. Additionally, the concept of hopping into the air before descending instantly towards the ground provides a useful segue from a character's aerial combat to their basic ground combat. However, Wavejet Step can be interrupted, but mind-games and mix-ups can trick the opponent. All of this combined to make harnessing the Wavejet Step a very rapid mind-game aspect that is difficult to counter; generally, a fighter harnessing the Wavejet Step in rapid succession means that they possess above-average skills.
Incredible Durability and Stamina: Crux has demonstrated an enormous amount of durability and endurance, suffering multiple blows that would fell others several times over yet continue fighting. His incredible willpower and determination are seconded to none, allowing him to push through where others would fall. However it has been recently revealed in his battle against Jason that this is largely due to the fact that his body is nothing more than a magical construct, very similar to Vivian.
High-Speed Regeneration: Crux is able to rapidly regenerate damaged bodily tissues much faster and more extensively than an ordinary human, and he can regenerate severed limbs or missing internal organs. Crux is also immune to the effects of all Earthly diseases and infections, and it enables him to completely regenerate with superhuman speed.
Assorted Others
Genius Intellect: Arguably, the most fearsome trait of Crux is his tremendous intellect. He is well-versed in the history, strategy, and tactics of the world, and is privy to knowledge unknown to many. Crux had been shown to be an extremely intelligent and cunning strategist, and he was also a highly studious young man. He is able to deceive and manipulate others around him in different ways for a variety of purposes; and he also displayed the ability to be so extremely capable of lying effectively that even Vita could not sense it regardless of how blatant the lie was, showing that Crux did not feel remorse for lying or many of his other actions, showing the ability to realize whether or not someone was telling the truth, stating simply that he was a "people person"; which of course is a big fat lie. He has also created several Artificial Dragon Slayers while avoiding arousing any suspicion from the majority of his guild members. For over 10 years, he had been engaging in experiments that involved unique and highly dangerous manipulations of magical energy, including experiments involving the demonization of humans, something that had never been done before. He has an innate knowledge of demons, rivaling that of Mr. E; he even knows how to destroy them. He effectively deduces the true nature of his demon via trial and error of situations that revolve around it. Crux had also displayed incredible fighting prowess in learning the fighting styles of those around him, such as the Senshōha ability displayed by Tsuruko against him in numerous sparring matches before his insanity. He has a great talent for analyzing and observing everything in his presence, allowing him to quickly understand a person's pattern of thinking and better manipulate them. He is also a master strategist, capable of formulating well-thought-out plans several steps ahead of others. These plans are incredibly involved and detailed, and are planned out with the long term in mind, making them seem slightly convoluted. He has also shown himself to be a masterful and flexible tactician, capable of adjusting seamlessly to any given combat situation, if not planning out events well in advance. He understands the strengths, weaknesses and mannerisms of his enemies, and creates strategies to achieve victory. Even under the effects of his insanity after Daybreak, Crux's wit and ability to strategize were not completely lost, as this managed to make him even more dangerous.
Memorization: Arguably, Crux's most powerful and impressive ability is that of observing his opponents, and immediately and flawlessly copying and mimic the powers and abilities of the things around him. In battle, Crux can observe any combat techniques, fighting styles and spells, in action, store them as a "code" in his soul and within a short time and then execute them with unnerving accuracy and precision, allowing him to grow exponentially stronger for each battle he participates in. However, he cannot copy multiple acts at one time. Crux can then mix and match the techniques and abilities he has copy to suit his taste, giving him a vast and nearly unpredictable moveset in combat. As seen so far, Crux has not been shown to possess any upper limit for how many combat skills, special abilities or weapons that he is capable of learning. The process that Crux uses to gain skill and weapons has no known limitation and will "continue to loop indefinitely". As an example, from the point of his creation, to just before his defeat by the hands of Tsuruko in Daybreak, Crux had accumulated what was possibly worth 4000 years of combat experience and weaponry as data, which sheer density would cause even the most advanced super computer to crash, and still Crux was able to learn even more skills. These traits makes Crux's combat potential, and the overall numbers of powers and abilities that he could obtain, virtually unlimited.
Magical Abilities
Crux's magical power.
Overwhelming Magical Power: Crux is known for his insurmountable amount of pure magical power; while he usually keeps it under control, when sufficiently angered, he can release it to its full extent in the form of a strong surge of energy. Due to his unique origins, Crux's magical power is unlike anything ever felt before. The presence it exudes is completely at odds with his appearance; the magical pressure itself is a vibrant golden and pitch-black, crackling intensely when Crux focuses; when Crux's power is at it's peak, it transforms into the frightening visage of a Chinese dragon which surrounds him, striking fear into the hearts of his foes. Magic originates from a Magic Origin (魔原, Magen), which is exactly what the wording indicates—it is a special organ that is located within the body of a magician, that absorbs eternano and bunches it up into clusters, which is processed into magical power. Every magician has a container inside their body that determines the limits of their Magic Power; this is precisely what a Magic Origin is. If the case becomes empty, eternano will come from the atmosphere and enters the magician's body and after a while, their Magic Power is restored. Crux's magical pressure has the secondary effect of drawing entire areas under its influence to the point of disrupting energy attacks from enemies, as well as affecting others from what is quite possibly miles away. In most of Crux's battles, his magical energy manifests in the form of massive wings of white light, which have galaxies and stars imbued in them. The wings of light combined with Crux's overwhelming power and presence creates a powerful psychological effect on those who see him. The wings can also be used as a defense mechanism. He commonly uses his magical energy to drastically augment the strength of his punches.
Magic in General
Assorted Magic (雑魔法, Zamahō): Magic is the main form of combat for magicians; it is the physical embodiment of the spirit. When the physical spirit of an organism connects with the spiritual flow of nature, the spirit forms Magic as a product of the connection. To utilize Magic, a magician must use Magic Power (魔力, Maryoku) in their body. Magic Power is the source of Power for all magicians, it is composed of Eternano (魔子 (エーテルナノ), Ēterunano lit. Magic Particles), which is the term coined to name particles of Magic. Eternano dwells inside all living organisms and throughout the atmosphere. Nobody knows when Magic began, or how Eternano originated. Eternano is the source of Magic Power for all magicians; and every magician has a container inside their body that determines the limits of their Magic Power. If the case becomes empty, Eternano will come from the atmosphere and enters the magician's body and after a while, their Magic Power is restored. Eternano has near-zero rest mass - though, like any particle, its mass increases to reflect its potential or kinetic energy - and can carry either a positive or negative charge. In order to cast spells, a magician derives the power necessary from two sources: their own body's Magic Origin (魔原, Magen), and the atmosphere. A Magic Origin is exactly what the wording indicates—it is a special organ that is located within the body of a magician, that absorbs eternano and bunches it up into clusters, which is processed into magical power.
Every magician has a container inside their body that determines the limits of their Magic Power; this is precisely what a Magic Origin is. If the case becomes empty, eternano will come from the atmosphere and enters the magician's body and after a while, their Magic Power is restored. It appears that the concept of using a proportion to the user's Magic Origin or the atmosphere is dependent entirely upon the magic used in question. With internal magic such as High Speed, one requires the use of their own magic far more than external magic such as Fire Magic, where they generally rely more on atmospherically magic. By collecting eternano and subsequently imbuing it with a certain 'command' through either an incantation, hand gesture or a simple spell name, allow it to then mysteriously take upon a characteristic unique to that spell. Interestingly, some magicians, if they are descended from unique families, have shown that they are capable of replenishing their eternano faster thanks to unique traits. However, recent studies have identified another, unused, part of a magician's Magic container that contains a large amount of dormant power: the Second Origin. If a magician somehow manages to unlock their Second Origin, they will then receive an enormous boost in Magic Power, or they can wait until the right moment to unleash the Magic Power of their Second Origin in order to gain an advantage in the battle.
Due to his origins, Crux has demonstrated the ability to use other magic, using his ability to interpret spells in a way that he can understand, and repeating the breathing method, casting the spell. As these are pure magic spells, Crux does suffer a slight disadvantage while utilizing them, displaying extremely delicate control over them by unnaturally sweating; and even bleeding from his forehead when utilizing bigger, grander spells. He is also an expert at developing new spells and new ways of using old spells, and an expert at delayed spells. Due to his natural magic, Crux is capable of weaving spells together; and his magic is noticeably more stable than most others with magic abilities, and therefore it doesn't breakdown at all and is not easily deflected; it can be said that Crux's spells are almost unstoppable. Crux, due to his incredible skill, is able to cast spells up to the high #80's range without the need for an incantation without any loss of power. Magic can be used to either destroy or save the world; and by definition, it is the art of producing a desired effect or result through the use of incantation or various other techniques, that presumably assure human control of supernatural agencies or the forces of nature.
- Teleportation Magic: Move Point (瞬間の魔法・座標移動 (ーブ・ポイント) , Shunkan no Mahō: Mūbu Pointo lit. Teleportation Magic: Move Target): Teleportation Magic is a Caster Magic that does exactly what it says upon the tin—it allows the user to cover very large distances in the blink of an eye. In order to perform Teleportation Magic, the user releases extremely high purified magical particle concentrations; and in that instant burst, their magical energy envelops them and reduces their body to elementary particles; contacting the space-time continuum in the location that they wish to appear in; after that, they are instantaneously reassembled in said location, literally teleporting. It makes for an extremely fast and effective means of transportation, and can also be used in combat when the situation requires fast actions. Move Point is a specialized Teleportation Magic spell that the user is capable of utilizing; it is an experimental spell developed by the Magic Council for the purpose of achieving high-speed movement, far beyond the likes of regular magic can provide. When performing Move Point, the user releases extremely high purified magical particle concentrations; and in that instant burst, their magical energy envelops them and reduces their body to elementary particles; contacting the space-time continuum in the location that they wish to appear in; after that, they are instantaneously reassembled in said location, literally teleporting. It is essentially a form of short-range spatial teleportation. Using this ability, the user is capable of traveling over short distances in an instant, even in the midst of battle. In dire situations when an enemy target is about to fatally hit the user, they are capable of instantly jumping away and flanking their enemy's position (usually several meters from behind or side). Move Point itself leaves a particle shadow of the user, fooling the enemy with the image of a false victorious blow. The maneuver often leaves the opponent confused and distracted long enough for the user to do serious damage and/or defeat their enemy targets. Crux has a maximum range of two kilometers and can teleport objects with a mass up to four thousand, five-hundred and twenty kilograms, though the trainers told him that he would damage his body if he moves anything more than one thousand kilograms, a restriction that has been overcome since the present time. More often than not, Crux milks Move Point for all it's worth, and, in a fight, uses Move Point to constantly disappear and appear at will, hitting, running, and flanking without any effort at all and barely any threat of counterattack. Teleportation is not a rare magic, but it always takes some "phase time" to complete the transportation, during which the caster cannot do anything else: for this reason, it is seldom used in combat. Move Point however, is a spell which can reduce the phase time to a level suitable for combat down to zero.
- Drain (レイン, Dorein): Drain is an extremely powerful spell where Crux charges magical energy within his palm; before firing it out in the form of an emerald helix of energy which shoots forward at high speeds, engulfing the opponent. Its power rewrites the opponent's genetic code and extracts the magical pool while lowering their physical capacity; essentially serving as a "de-buff". Not much is known about this spell, however, it is known that aside from serving as a general pain, Crux can utilize Drain to rewrite the electrical signals in the brain, curing people of their mental trauma or making it worse as he lowers their perception of reality, also shaking up their control of their own magical energy.
- Abyss Break (
煉獄砕破 , Abisu Bureiku lit. Purgatory Breaking Wave) is a forbidden, uncategorized spell that is noted to be one of the most powerful spells to ever exist. Abyss Break is a spell that has consequences the magnitude of what its name might suggests. While never explicitly shown to be used in combat, its effects, as described by Loke are that of a dark blast. Abyss Break uses the combination of four magic in order to be performed: Fire Magic, Water Magic, Wind Magic and Earth Magic, or any other appropriate derivatives of the aforementioned elemental magic. Uniquely, the spell absolutely requires the use of a magical circle, which is later seen as the four different magic are actually embedded into the said magical circle. Whilst the exact magnitude of the spell varies dependent on the amount of magical power within it, it may be theorized that the functionality of the spell works akin to that of a Unison Raid. Albeit, if one employs it by oneself, it can be called a "Self" Unison Raid; additionally, adhering to the Unison Raid his spell can be employed by four different users (such as the Element 4) or a single user with mastery over the four elemental types. The spell, thought to be powerful enough to destroy the R-System because of its use, is clearly a disaster simply waiting to happen. However, Crux is capable of activating and utilizing Abyss Break in a different manner—by entering his Corpse Shell form, and then charging Light Magic within his sword, the positive and negative energies undergo a unique reaction similar to a nuclear fission; the magical atoms composing both elements collide and separate over and over before ultimately bonding together the moment that Crux swings his sword forward, which generates an enormous magical glyph in front of his sword; from which an immensely destructive pillar of light and dark energy which stretches as far as the heavens is released, obliterating anything and everything in it's path. This beam covers a wide range, almost five kilometers in diameter while creating a massive firestorm over a large area to do heavy damage to all enemies. This attack creates an enormous explosion upon contact and leaves a huge mushroom cloud; similar a nuclear bomb; this effect spreads out to a fan-shaped area. Despite normally being taxing on any other magician, Crux is able to utilize Abyss Break with ease; due to his true nature which essentially provides him with infinite magical power.
Light Magic
Light Magic (光の魔法, Hikari no Mahō): Light Magic is a Caster Magic which draws on the positive emotions of the user and manifest it in a physical form, the element of Light- it is the signature magic of Crux Kouga, and his possession of this seemingly holy power fully shows that while Light Magic is not inherently good in a sense as seen by users of the magic with malefic intentions; it does give off a feeling of hope to the user's allies which in turn inspires them to do better in combat due to this magic releasing the benevolent nature of the user back into the world. It should be noted that Light Magic was intentionally created to be used as a counter against Darkness Magic and later Black Arts, two types of Magic that feed on negativity and cause massive destruction. This is triggered by going to the extremes of the 'magic = feelings' concept—by fueling their magic with positive feelings, the user is capable of initiating the usual fusion of eternano and magical power, only manifesting magical power in a light and benevolent nature; this is known as natural Light Magic, drawing from the inner feelings of the humanity to purify the world off all its evils and mistakes, like a beacon of hope. This version of light magic is more commonly known and used by Legal Magicians as they are often encouraged to use their emotions when it comes to fighting, being taught it will increase the overall power of their spells, though this is just a rumor and has not yet been official confirmed.
However a recent discovery has just been made revolving around Light Magic; a group of scientists have discovered a new way to utilize Light Magic without having to go through the process of converting their own feelings into magic. This is considered incredibly difficult for a magicians to successfully pull off and as such, there are only a small number of magicians that are capable of using this method of Light Magic. To do this, the user will manifest and modify their very eternano and magical energy, entwining it, into that of protons which the user can then alter the movement of them, allowing them to be able to use virtually any light based power; being granted the ability to control, generate, and absorb light as well as utilizing said element as a form of offense and defense. Users of, what has now been dubbed, natural Light Magic have taken note that the light that is manifested through this specific procedure is not capable of being sense as it does not have any feeling in it, making most magicians feel uncomfortable around a magician that is capable of using this variation of Light Magic. Due to this fact that this Light Magic does not use any emotion and is based on science, this variant of the magic has been named artificial Light Magic.
Light Magic can be utilized in a multitude of different ways, ranging from offensive to supplementary applications. Occasionally, a certain technique will usually involve the use of hands to cast a spell, though an experienced user can perform said spell without having to go through such an approach. It can be used to destroy and pick up various objects, defend various enemies' attacks and unleash devastating beams of light with immense power behind them. Light Magic can also be used in the most basic way possible which can still lead devastating results; by emitting light from the caster's body, depending on the brightness and the heat that the light emits, it is capable of blinding as well as burning an opponent or causing the surrounding area to explode in a brilliant light. The user can create constructs and weapons made of the element, and even teleport themselves away via transforming into light; being capable of taking out a horde of opponents in a flash of light and rendering them unable to fight, blinding them with radiance. Similar to other elemental magics, Light Magic allows the user to transform their entire body into the very element that they use to fight: by transforming into pure light, the user is able to negate and avoid attacks, and gain the added advantage of traveling at incredible speeds and causing significant damage to their opponent and everything that they come in contact with, like a ray of divine light unleashed by the gods in the skies above, coming to unleash its unholy judgment, leaving naught but terror and sadness in its wake.
Crux himself is noted to be particularly skilled in the application of holy-based spells, with his wide amount of knowledge encompassing such subjects as offensive spells, defensive measures, and all sorts of supplementary abilities; to Crux, the light around him is similar to an extension of his body as in he possesses the ability to manipulate its movements and structure, subjugating it to his will. These generally accompany each and every one of his movements- an example of this is that when utilizing Wavejet Step to advance at fast speeds, he leaves behind a lens flare that can blind the opponent- swathes of light are released from every sword strike that he makes with Elysdeon as well; expanding upon this, in combat, his light can be channeled in countless ways, empowering Crux's physical attacks while incorporating his spells into his sword techniques, creating a plethora of abilities that attack on both a physical and magical level, both when wielding his swords, or when unarmed, with wakes of destructive light that can blind an opponent while the intensity of it more often than not sears away at them at a higher temperature than that of high-level Fire Magic, including fire-element Slayer Magic. Crux is capable of emitting it in vast amounts, enough to cover a wide area, and of shaping it into various forms; more often than not, in the heat of battle, Crux releases jets of light, whirling disks, and blades of light- all of these accompany his own sword strikes and unarmed attacks, though he's also capable of unleashing them as standalone spells.
Crux, as mentioned above, has what could be perceived as "absolute dominance" over the element of light, meaning that not only can he manipulate it in any way, shape, or form, he can effortlessly harness its supplementary effects without extending them into spells- a good example is that he is capable of causing others to view light as colour-shifts as they get closer (red) or further away (blue) from himself- this is referred to as the Doppler Effect (
By refracting light from his eyes, Crux is capable of observing two places at once, enabling him to see from the front and in any other direction he desires; if utilized correctly, this allows Crux to remove the fact that he can be taken by surprise; to onlookers, it appears as if Crux has a "sixth sense" of sorts. And, of course, he is capable of causing bilocation, which causes his foes to view two places at once; this allows his to shift herself towards the enemy's blind spot, assisting greatly in his movements. Upon noticing the "fake" Crux, his foes become caught under brief hypnosis, causing those under the influence of the technique can be easily outmaneuvered by Crux. However, Crux must stabilize his magical energies in order for this technique to work; if Crux's magical energy is thrown out of balance (this is done by rousing his emotions or by being struck by anything outside of the area-of-effect, or even by losing focus while initiating this technique), then this technique will dissipate and Crux will be left stunned- this bilocation power is touted as a "high risk, high reward" type power, with it able to completely save his hide in many a situation if applied properly. Crux can also run his light in an area's surface, to obtain information of past events, like a powerful form of psychometry.
Because of Crux's origins as being hewn from a Fragment of Origin, the Primordial Demon of Light and mirror to the Primordial Demon of Darkness, Varian, Crux can produce a higher quality of light compared to other forms of light, even those belonging to the Slayer Magic line- they possess an intensity that matches the highest temperatures and the actual speed of light, making them a cut above the rest in comparison to other light-based skills. This overwhelming offensive power is often to referred to as "holy" and "pure", the "Light of Justice" (正義の光, Seigi no Hikari). Crux himself tends to rely almost exclusively on his Light Magic as he was taught by Charlotte Merquise, the user of the almighty Photon Dragon Slayer Magic -as such, he is capable of incorporating it into his body to turn his frame into a makeshift weapon unique to himself just like a user of Slayer Magic though the same method as Charlotte. Crux commonly manipulates light using only two fingers, rather than with a closed fist or open hand as is commonly used by other elemental users, effortlessly producing a greater amount of light than any other light magician to exist without tiring, as he is shown to be able to maintain successive assaults for numerous hours at a time without taking a breather in any fashion.
Crux has demonstrated the ability to condense his light, granting it the properties of immense sharpness in order to cut clean through various objects, effortlessly rending anything that these photonic pulses come into contact in twain while busting straight through all forms of defenses with a simultaneous concussive force, allowing Crux's light to firmly pulverize objects, such as stone. Crux also seems to be able to defy gravity using his light powers to eliminate his own weight, allowing him to stay aloft in mid-air for undefined periods- this is commonly used after harnessing the Wavejet Step to gain some air in order to give off the visage of being capable of utilizing full flight-based magics. His mastery over the element of light has reached the point that the photon energy that he generates is unable to be consumed by any opposing light magic user of any type, and he can actually transform opposing sources of light into his own, meaning that he has full control over the element of light in every way, shape, and form. When merging it with his magical aura, Crux's aura takes upon the appearance of a wave of golden energy that resonates throughout the area, and depending on the brightness or heat that this aura emits, it can be capable enough to blind an enemy or cause the surroundings to explode. It can be said that he is one of the most proficient wielders of the element in the current day and age, and Crux's style of Light Magic is unfocused and wild, which, combined with his immense power, makes him all the more dangerous as his attacks prove to be ferocious and destructive.
- Thunder Arrow (
無限光発射の燦ノ破弓矢 , Sandā Arō lit. Limitless Light Discharge of the Radiant Bow and Arrow): Thunder Arrow, also known as Eight Shaku Curved Jewel (八尺瓊曲玉, Yasakani no Magatama) and more commonly known as the "Arrow of Light" (光の矢, Hikari no Ya), is an extremely powerful Light Magic spell which involves the caster shaping light into an arrowhead of photonic energy shaped like a lightning bolt that the user then fires at the opponent at high speeds. Thunder Arrow is the signature spell of Crux Kouga; however, Thunder Arrow itself was derived from Photonic Forge: Ame no Habaya, one of Charlotte Merquise's special moves. When performing Thunder Arrow, Crux activates his Light Magic by going to the extremes of the 'magic = feelings' concept—by fueling his magic with positive feelings, Crux initiates the usual fusion of eternano and magical power, only manifesting magical power in a light and benevolent nature; drawing from the inner feelings of the humanity to purify the world off all its evils and mistakes, like a beacon of hope. From here, Crux uses his imagination in tandem with Shape Transformation in order to mold the light created into the form of an extravagant lightning arrow-head-shaped bolt forged completely from light, meaning that it does not possess a solid form; this arrow held in his hands shines to the point that it causes those in the vicinity to avert their eyes. The arrowhead constantly crackles with numerous bluish discharges of static electricity; which are a side-effect of the intensity of light harnessed to manifest the bolt of gold. Then, Crux induces the converging of energies at a singular point—the tip of the arrowhead; intensifying the kinetic and magical energy that is about to be released by convergence and acceleration through willpower alone, and at any time that he deems it suitable, Crux can swiftly release the magical energy and expel the photons compressed with his own will magnifying the speed and force significantly, with the arrow shooting forth in the blink of an eye, faster than the speed of sound itself, tearing through everything that it comes into contact with, including the air itself as it chases its opponent down. While normally, Thunder Arrow flies through the air as free as a bird, it can also be launched across the ground like a shark's fin hovering above the water; the crescent of energy mows through the surface of the Earth while in motion. Upon impact, the arrow causes a large explosion of energy with enough momentum to breach defenses; making it extremely powerful, ripping into the ground and incinerating an entire squadron of Rune Knights, scorching the very foundation of the earth, leaving naught but molten asphalt and burning away everything in sight, such as forests and rocks as it splits the skies; assaulting the opponent ferociously as the arrow sends the opponents flying at a semi-spike angle, inducing tremendous knockback from which it is difficult to recover as it pierces straight through walls. The spell can hit a maximum of six targets at once but the damage and knockback weaken for each target hit; thus if used on many opponents, it may not destroy the ones in the back, even if the foes are still suffering from harm. This attack goes through any and all defenses, and at extreme distances it does slightly less damage. If the opponents are too close together, they may collide with each other and prevent immense damaging from happening. The attack seems to possess highly destructive power, having caused great damage to the area it affected, destroying the ground and piercing through buildings alike, and appears to have a long range, wreaking havoc wherever it passes, as shown when it crossed the entire distance of Hargeon, generating a large explosion. The trajectory of the arrow can be altered, allowing Crux to strike more than one opponent. Crux can change the direction the arrow will go while holding it; backwards, forwards, and upwards; his shining arrows move much more quickly than other character's arrows, and can be controlled in midair. Crux is not able to hold the blast indefinitely in normal use; however, if he keeps changing the direction the arrow will be released, he can hold onto it for a while. The golden arrows can actually be curved around in a full circle if controlled properly and thus avoid veering off somewhat else. A single Thunder Arrow is more than enough to disperse an entire rainstorm; as well as demolish a large radius of the surroundings and leave behind a huge crater in the wake of the attack. As Crux's signature spell and his favourite attack to use, he has displayed almost perfect mastery over the Thunder Arrow, being capable of controlling and modifying the output of the attack in almost way that he deems fit; this isn't limited to but it includes changing the properties of the blasts, causing them to inflict piercing penetrating damage, explode violently upon contact, ricochet upon impact with any surface which is not Crux's target, as well as manually control their flight path. Its principal use is to strike at adversaries outside of Crux's range in the blink of an eye, piercing and busting the air to shreds with its shooting motion as the arrow of light launches forth; because it is essentially the release of focused magical energy, it is capable of destroying anything with a decisive strike of a cutting magical arrow. What should be noted is that Thunder Arrow possessing homing properties; tracking the foe's heat signature in order to sniff them out and deal damage. As Thunder Arrow is a quick-hitting, high-power spell, it could be considered to be the most accurate metaphor for Crux's fighting style and its instant casting time and effect make it exceptionally useful, as it can broaden the distance between Crux and his opponent with a simple snap of his fingers.- Thunder Arrow – Genocide Shift (
無限光発射の燦ノ破弓矢・一挙十得 , Sandā Arō – Jenosaido Shifuto lit. Limitless Light Discharge of the Radiant Bow and Arrow: One Strike, Ten Hits): Thunder Arrow – Genocide Shift is a variant of the standard Thunder Arrow spell where Crux launches ten bolts of light at once which he can then mentally command or just shoot at the enemy. When performing Thunder Arrow – Genocide Shift, Crux activates his Light Magic by going to the extremes of the 'magic = feelings' concept—by fueling his magic with positive feelings, Crux initiates the usual fusion of eternano and magical power, only manifesting magical power in a light and benevolent nature; drawing from the inner feelings of the humanity to purify the world off all its evils and mistakes, like a beacon of hope. From here, Crux uses his imagination in tandem with Shape Transformation in order to mold the light created into the form of a serial of extravagant lightning arrow-head-shaped bolts forged completely from light, meaning that it does not possess a solid form; this arrows held in his hand and float beside him shine to the point that they cause those in the vicinity to avert their eyes. The arrowheads constantly crackle with numerous bluish discharges of static electricity; which are a side-effect of the intensity of light harnessed to manifest the bolts of gold; Crux harnesses a form of telekinesis to allow the arrows of light to hover around him in any formation that he desires. In order to use this multitude of spears of light to rain destruction down, Crux snaps his fingers, causing a release in the kinetic and magical energies that compose the golden bolts and the seemingly infinite number of arrows are fired without pause in a manner reminiscent of shooting stars. They move and take aim at the target according to Crux's will while leaving their starting point in a curved trajectory to strike the opponent, allowing him to fire without having to even touch them; they are shot with enough force to repel a high-powered elemental spell. While it is possible to block many of the strikes, to do so can be seen as suicidal. When Crux induces this spell, it is not uncommon to see a flurry of golden lances materializing out of thin air and disappearing just as quickly, with enemies bombarded by a barrage of beams which cause heavy damage upon them, striking them in rapid succession, flying and attacking rapidly from many angles at once; overall overwhelming the foe; or at least, placing tremendous pressure upon them, forcing them to keep their defenses up lest they be struck by a bolt—causing dozens of other arrows to perforate them in a matter of moments. The arrows lock-on to Crux's opponents no matter their position, chasing after them, and they can dodge obstacles in their way, unless it is not physically possible, never ceasing their hunt until they catch their prey; the light that composes the arrows are capable of disturbing the fabric of space, seeming to spin like a razor as they compress and decompress due to their sheer speed and raw power. This attack embodies the idea that quantity has a quality all its own; the bolts released can be mentally stopped and pointed in another direction if the opponent dodges, drawing a beautiful geometric curtain of death, piercing the target and damaging them enormously. The curving aspect of this spell makes the lights miniature heat-seeking missiles, but instead of locking on to heat, they target whatever enemy they have; making it impossible to avoid or escape from—a certain hit is an inevitability, giving the opponents little to no chance to escape unless it is physically impossible to harm them or a serious obstruction is in the way. Upon firing them, Crux can allow them to pierce the ground after striking the target, causing a large amount of destruction with each Thunder Arrow, or he can instantly resummon them back to his vicinity. - Charge (
無限光発射・剣圧縮充電 , Chāji lit. Limitless Light Discharge Bladed Compression): Through a method simply known as Charge, Crux is capable of adding more of his Light Magic onto the photonic arrow when he is initiating the attack to achieve a higher level of power; this process, while it does result in the spell being launched at an ever-so-slightly later date, it can drastically enhance the power, width, and size of the Thunder Arrow spell, and as such, the option of charging can mean the difference between victory and defeat in the heat of battle. The charging process can take from about half a second to a full minute, depending on Crux's preferences or the properties of the bolt of light; the golden arrow to achieve a higher level of power- the magical energy compressed, in the case of Crux, this takes the form of a golden glow that radiates throughout the area. Generally, the charging speed of the Thunder Arrow spell takes about two seconds down to the letter, and if the Thunder Arrow spell is charged, it travels in a straight line, but when fired without charging, it flies in an up-and-down wave motion- but both retain the high speeds ever-so-characteristic of the spell. Crux is also capable of continuing to hold the spell in its magical energy compressed form and move around as normal; this can serve as a way to take advantage of extra power while taking evasive action. Crux is capable of interrupting the charge of the attack by grabbing the bolt with his free hand; the charge cancel can be used to bluff an opponent by allowing them to come close to Crux while he's charging, only to find themselves attacked by another method.
- Thunder Arrow – Genocide Shift (
- Photon Tensegrity (
光子竜の光波防御帯 , Foton Tenseguritī lit. Photon Dragon's Lightwave Barrier): Photon Tensegrity is a Light Magic spell adapted from the Photon Dragon Slayer Magic spell of the same name which enables the user to cast a barrier of light to surround themselves that can reflect attacks; as a side note, Photon Tensegrity is also known as Eight Span Mirror (八咫鏡, Yata no Kagami). When scattered in the air, the repulsive forces between the photons generated through this magic cause them to spontaneously align; which the user can form, with magical manipulation, into a regular cubic lattice structure; this is referred to Photon Tensegrity, which will slowly expand and scatter into the area. When photon particles are spread in large numbers in the open air or in open space, the particles disrupt metal. The photons also interferes with the operations of magic items due to the photon particles high charge which act like a continuous electromagnetic pulse on metal objects. The disruption of metal is due to the small lattice of the spell creating fringes that long wavelengths cannot penetrate, and that diffract wavelengths that have similar distance with the fringes. This diffraction and polarization process disrupts the alloys. If controlled, the particles can form fringes of different widths and further interfere with alloys and machinery. Photon Tensegrity forms an invisible barrier around the user, protecting them from incoming magical attacks letting only a fraction of the magical force behind them pass through to strike their body; at which point the attack is immediately nullified- the energies gathered, and then focused into the next step. This spell is not a perfect defense, as it can be worn down by repeated blows, or can be broken by a spell as a prelude to an attack. In addition, some people are capable of breaking or bypassing barriers altogether. However, this barrier's defensive properties have no effect against solid objects like swords and projectiles, and magic can still be used at point blank range within the barrier's boundary; very little is known about the limits of its defensive power, though it possesses a rather immense duration and durability, functioning as a shell of sorts, with the intensity of the light emitted by the Photon Tensegrity having the psychological effect of causing enemies to hesitate to attack them. However, the Photon Tensegrity is difficult to use has it can only manipulate so many photon particles at a time and it required precise timing; and, despite being far more advanced than any other barrier, it still suffers from magical draining. The barrier can only be used for a total of one hundred and five seconds and requires one hundred and twenty seconds to cool down. If the user has no other defensive measures this leaves a window of fifteen seconds where they have no defense against attacks. Crux can use Photon Tensegrity for many purposes, such as preventing physical contact, keeping debris and unwanted materials off himself, erecting his force field to escape piles of debris easier, and a few other purposes as well. However, it's most important purpose is the fact that if he is cast in concrete or other materials; for example a plane dropping a large amount of solidifying material that can put his body in a hard cast, or falling into wet concrete that would harden around him in a full body cast which would keep his motion prohibited, he can erect this force field to break out of a cast; without this force field, he would not be unstoppable. The force field is also particularly resistant to such materials in the first place, as they would slide off much faster and more smoothly then it would from his body alone, due to the fact it is pure energy. Additionally, his force field can resist magical attacks better than Crux could do alone, as it is energy created from his actual power. Magical weapons that can hurt Crux have to penetrate his force field first; making it even more useful, not to mention the force field being able to produce more energy to continually push out an intruder that has managed to break into his defenses.- Shining Diffusion (
光波防御帯・反射公式 , Shainingu Difuyūjon lit. Lightwave Barrier: Refraction Formula): Shining Diffusion is the second step of Photon Tensegrity- it is completely optional, but it certainly adds to what Photon Tensegrity can do. Shining Diffusion is effectively turning the immense defensive power of Photon Tensegrity into an overwhelming offense which brings indiscriminate amounts of destruction to anything near the caster. In any case, when inducing Shining Diffusion, at the moment of an opposing attack(s)' impact upon the shield manifested by Photon Tensegrity, the shield gathers and dissects the energies that splashed upon the spell before the user harnesses the effect known as refraction in order to deflect all sorts of attacks as to ensure that it fails to connect with the user and thus does not inflict damage, reversing the opponent's attack, whether it be close-range or projectile, upon them, returning it to sender, causing the user to retaliate in any way that they wish as well. If the attack is a projectile, it will simply be deflected behind them and upwards at about a thirty degree angle. It's worth noting explosive projectiles can still explode and will still do damage if they are struck when the Shining Diffusion dissipates. If the attack is a powerful spell such as a Secret Art, then the attacker will be knocked back at a ninety degree angle. The process involved seems to occur with such severity that the attacks appear to curve around the affected area, as though the object in question were protected by an invisible barrier/shield immediately in front of it. When reflected by Shining Diffusion, the reversed attacks can even penetrate other barriers of any kind- these are not limited to the simple Defenser, indeed, they can possibly penetrate Ancient Spell-tier magics such as Fairy Sphere. The user is able to surpass any reflecting power by reflecting back the spell they had cast from all of their opponent's sides; and they are capable of reducing by refracting the range of many magics, even some which notable in their ability to nullify any other form of Magic, and then assaulting the enemy. This technique is inspired by the processes of refraction and dispersion involved in the formation of a rainbow.
- Shining Diffusion (
- Thunder Blade (
翔破裂約束された勝利の剣 , Sandā Burēdo lit. Soaring Breaking Rending Sword of Promised Victory): Thunder Blade is a standard Light Magic spell that allows Crux to shape light into the form of a sword; it is also referred to as The Gathering Clouds of Heaven (天叢雲剣, Ama no Murakumo). When performing Thunder Blade, Crux activates his Light Magic by going to the extremes of the 'magic = feelings' concept—by fueling his magic with positive feelings, Crux initiates the usual fusion of eternano and magical power, only manifesting magical power in a light and benevolent nature; drawing from the inner feelings of the humanity to purify the world off all its evils and mistakes, like a beacon of hope. From here, Crux uses his imagination in conjunction with Shape Transformation in order to mold the light created into the form of a double-edged sword forged completely from light, meaning that it does not possess a solid form; the Thunder Blade is used exclusively for melee combat- as its name would suggest, thanks to the intensity of the light that composes it, the Thunder Blade is constantly discharging bluish static electricity. With its long, spear-like handle and even longer double-edged blade, the design of the Thunder Blade was made to take down enemies in a single swing, but due to its unwieldy size and a weight decidedly greater than any other sword, it is said that no one has even been able to brandish this unusual blade to its full capacity. Its full length is nearly as large as Crux is tall and a blade several times wider than normal. The sword is highly sharp and durable, capable of slicing through magical barriers, and its slashes are capable of trailing large amounts of light in its wake, which can damage the opponent. The Thunder Blade is so deadly precisely because it's capable of being utilized in countless ways- it's almost mesmerizing that somebody can get so much mileage out of a simple sword of light. The Thunder Blade can take the form of any type of sword formed from light, such as a regular sword and alter its properties to transform it into another version, such as a rapier or katana. In any form, the Thunder Blade is capable of slicing through magical barriers, and its slashes are capable of trailing large amounts of waves of light in its wake, which can damage the opponent. The moment that the weapon makes contact with the foe via impaling them, the composition of the weapon is altered to cause additional, smaller blades to protrude from the blade inside of the foe's body, drastically increasing the number of wounds dealt to the foe. The weapon itself can endure even the strongest of attacks, making it quite effective in blocking and deflecting incoming attacks; and it can withstand getting crushed by force. The armament is strong and sharp enough to cut clean through pure metal weapons as well; the power of the Thunder Blade is capable of inflicting a deep cut into the opponent's body, even if they had erected a magical defense beforehand, severely damaging them- it can defeat an Etherious compared to a Guild Ace in power in a single strike; indeed, Crux has used it to clash with Jason LaHote's own normal swords. However, when he does not feel like using it or he cannot summon it due to a multitude of reasons, Crux can manifest the Thunder Blade to serve as a substitute for Elysdeon. - Light Magic Extremity: Event Horizon (
光の魔法・奥義・明を射る十三光翼 , Raito Majikku Ekusutorīmiti: Ibento Horaizun lit. Light Magic Secret Art: The Thirteen Light Wings That Shoot Through the Dark): Light Magic Extremity: Event Horizon is one of Elraine's most powerful spells in general- it is also the strongest light-based magic spells to exist, far beyond what any light-element Slayer Magic or other Lost Magic could do. It is a spell developed by the Sage of Light during the Dragon Civil War, but how he discovered it or created it is unknown; however, soon after the war, the Sage of Light sealed it away; hoping that it would never see the light of day again—he wrote down the eternano patterns and instructions in order to cast the spell in an ancient tome, which was buried deep within the earth. Light Magic Extremity: Event Horizon's power remains unparalleled throughout the ages, and its power is such that it is unable to be consumed by any Slayer Magic; instead overpowering the foolish magician trying to take its power for their own and devouring their magic in retaliation- Event Horizon is also referred to as Heavenly Rock Cave (天岩戸, Ama no Iwato). Light Magic Extremity: Event Horizon is activated by Crux fueling his magic with positive feelings, initiating the usual fusion of eternano and magical power, only manifesting magical power in a light and benevolent nature before using Shape Transformation in order to mold this enormous amount of light into thirteen sword-shaped shields of light energy which can connect to form a laser array; these shields of light are capable of withstanding the full force of four simultaneous elemental attacks. Crux has displayed that he can control and direct these divine armaments in any way that she deems fit, such as utilizing them for defense by having them project themselves in front of himself- alternatively, they can provide protection by all thirteen summoning themselves around his body like a cage- this form of defense results in the area the shields block off, if it is attacked, for the shields to simply burn the opponent through contact alone, rush at an opponent through the ground like a shark's fin while razing everything that they touch, and the shields of photonic energy can also launch blasts of light at his targets- these blasts of light resemble spheres of light which are fired like bullets at his enemies at high speeds similar to shooting stars which track down his opponents and deal significant damage upon impact; upon contact with an enemy, these orbs of light explode with enough power to knock the foe flying backwards as if they had just been ground with a swiftly-rotating drill. If the shields of light are destroyed, they let out a small explosion which can burn or paralyze his foe in an instant. Using a variant of telepathy, Crux is constantly sending signals from his brain to these armament, creating a communication network that enables him to move them around the area almost effortlessly and he prefers to use them to attack his foes from long-range and often in conjunction with other techniques, though due to their ever changing form, they can attack head-on. This attack embodies the idea that quantity has a quality all its own; the beams released by the shields of light can be mentally stopped and pointed in another direction if the opponent dodges, drawing a beautiful geometric curtain of death, piercing the target and damaging them enormously. The curving aspect of this spell makes the beams miniature heat-seeking missiles, but instead of locking on to heat, they target whatever enemy they have; making it impossible to avoid or escape from—a certain hit is an inevitability, giving the opponents little to no chance to escape unless it is physically impossible to harm them or a serious obstruction is in the way. One of the more powerful variants of Event Horizon can be activated while Crux is in the air, as she shoots his thirteen light shields around the area, which then light it up in a thick twilight mist- this not only decreases the enemy's chances of spotting Crux, but it also allows him to fade into the mist and attack from countless directions all while the opponent remains incapable of defending against his vicious onslaughts. The power of Light Magic Extremity: Event Horizon is so immense that it releases an energy that is so overwhelming, it is near impossible to describe to onlookers; nor can it be conveyed properly. This attack relies on indiscriminate targeting to track down the opponent's magical energy. Crux can move the attack in any direction, or stop it in mid-flight and with a snap of his fingers, detonate it any time he wishes. When opposing an attack of similar power, it will not only double or multiply, but increase infinitely. This move creates a large, impressive explosion on contact, which leaves Crux unharmed, but is lethal to the target, essentially reducing them to atoms at it's strongest point. With this spell, he can take down an entire force using psychic brainwaves, enabling Crux to engage large numbers of opponents at the same time, or to allow him to overwhelm a powerful foe.
Junction
Junction (
If the user synchronizes their magical power frequency with that of the demon's when the two are in close proximity- or in some cases, when the demon is sealed inside of the host, they can activate it at any time- with the demon's approval, the user can perform a junction; which merges the user and the demon, integrating the demon's powers within their body; though this process can take time even if their bodies have fused (and it sometimes just freezes if the two are resisting assimilation). This allows the host to replicate the powers of the demon; filtering out magic (known as drawing) from the demon and storing it ready to be used by the user. This allows the user to possess near superhuman abilities, such as increased speed and strength, as well as being able to use the demon's magic. The merger grants the user an extreme boost in power; giving them access to new abilities, including executing powered-up spells; and the merger can only be executed when the user gathers enough eternano; however. In order to activate the merger, the spell has an "limit meter" that fills as the user collects eternano; which are glowing orbs of light that appears whenever an attack is landed or an attack is blocked; the user automatically absorbs eternano as they move around the area, but not while attacking or being attacked. When the user can enter the merger, the user begins to glow orange. Once the merger is entered, the user's magical power slowly drains, and the merger ends when it is depleted. The rate at which the power drains can be lowered by using certain accessories and equipment pieces. While in the merger, the character can still collect eternano, refilling their power as it depleted. While in the merger, the user slowly begins regenerating their stamina; while they gain a higher chance of obtaining a critical hit; as well as generic bonuses as special attacks, increased damage, and other enhancements.
Entering the merger blocks any spell the opponent is striking the user with and knocks them back; however, this can be a double-edged sword, as the user's current magic is cancelled out when activating the mode; but despite this, this drawback can be morphed into a blessing, letting attacks be chained together in new ways When demon and host are merged, two kinds of beings are brought together, and since the user possesses a comparable consciousness, the demon will lose their solid form and can only manifest for limited periods of time while the merging is occurring; giving the user superhuman strength and enhancing their body functions. During a successful merge, striking hair or pupil colour changes become apparent, and it will even change the colour of clothing the user is wearing at the time- perhaps at higher levels of power, the user(s) will undergo a drastic physical change. The demon can always initiate telepathic contact with the user. However, in the case that the user loses consciousness or the demon for any other reason has to assume full control over their shared body the demon creates a so-called "Internal Space" (内部空間, Naibu Kūkan, pocket dimension), where the user can communicate with the user in safety and even recuperate. The factor that determines whether or not a demon and their host can Junction is known as the Synchro Rating; a person with a higher rate is more likely able to perform a Junction than one who has a low rate. If a demon and human are not getting along and always arguing, Junction is not possible. The human and demon must be in perfect harmony in order for the transformation to take place.
Due to being sealed with Crux's sword, Elysdeon has a special "magic link" with Crux, essentially a contract of sorts that Crux can annul at any time. By synchronizing his magical power frequency with that of Elysdeon's when the two are in close proximity, with Elysdeon's approval, Crux can perform a junction; which merges Elysdeon with him, integrating her within his body. This allows Crux to replicate the powers of Elysdeon; filtering out magic (known as drawing) from Elysdeon and storing it ready to be used by Crux. This allows Crux to possess near superhuman abilities, such as increased speed and strength, as well as being able to use magic. When Elysdeon and Crux are merged, two kinds of beings are brought together, and since Jason possesses a comparable consciousness, Elysdeon will lose her solid form and can only manifest for limited periods of time while the merging is occurring; giving Crux superhuman strength and enhancing his body functions. During a successful merge, striking hair or pupil colour changes become apparent, and it will even change the colour of clothing Crux is wearing at the time. Elysdeon can always initiate telepathic contact with Elysdeon.
- Shining Element White Dragon: Epyon (光部白竜・エピオン, Kōsohakuryū Epion): Epyon is the name of Crux and Elysdeon's Junction. When it is manifested; Crux's clothing is replaced with a specialized armour; it covers Crux's body in entirety. The armour is predominantly white with gold colouring on its joints and black on various parts of its front chassis and rear verniers. The armour is sleek and streamlined and it is covered in various draconic skulls and faces. The armour is literally held together by golden magical flames; and it has a slightly demonic, skeletal design. Protruding from the back of the armour are expansive wings; the beginning portions of the limbs are slender and generally conventionally arm-like, but flare out into a more wing-like, feathered section farther on the limb, sporting four claws on the leading edge. The helmet has a protruding black horn on its forehead; and on the exact middle of Crux's back, there is thick mass of a center-most plume and ribbon-like secondary extensions, surrounded by two large bands; based on an electric turbine. When transformed into Epyon, Crux gains the ability to fly, and his physical abilities get an enormous boost as well: His speed and physical strength are vastly enhanced to the same levels as Jason's Griever form, allowing him to break through large obstacles and move at light speed. His reflexes are also increased to the point where they can match his upgraded movements and those of his foes. While transformed, all of Crux's Light Magic spells are enhanced to their full limit and is a vital part of his fighting style in this form. He can now perform the Arrow of Light on a massive scale, capable of destroying the large Highlander satellite cannon on his own. Epyon is Greek for "Next".
Corpse Shell
Corpse Shell (
Crux, as an experimental homunculus created by the Magic Council under Giselle Mercury's supervision in order to get a pardon for Giselle killing the previous Wizard Saints, using her own DNA and Alphonse's in order to create a "stabilized" Corpse Shell, thus technically making her Tsuruko's sister, as a member of the Sejren Family, she inadvertently inherited the Corpse Curse Brand as well. Hikari would eventually become Crux Kouga due to the seal's tainting influence, among other things. Crux's Corpse Shell looks exactly like the regular version, but it is slightly more powerful, and it seems to reduce his sanity by even more than usual. Crux has an "evolved" Corpse Shell, which takes the form of a black knight that possesses red markings and a flowing, crimson cape.
After continued losses to the likes of dragons in the Human-Dragon War and the deaths of many of her comrades, Jeanne Sejren, the very first history-important member of the Sejren Family, in her desperation as her Factor of the Dragon was not enough to kill a dragon, summoned an Etherious demon known as Abyssion, who was forged from one of the Books of Amadam—Abyssion, tier-wise, was at least as powerful as the Ancient Ones known as Origin and Varian. Making a contract with the demon, Jeanne was given a sample of Abyssion's blood which was infused within her bloodstream, which was actually a concentrated version of negatively-charged magical energy; demon blood. Since the Factor of the Dragon allowed her human body to resist demonic corruption to a certain extent, Jeanne was capable of mixing the negatively-charged magical energy with her draconic magical energy in order to forge a new Black Art; Corpse Shell.
After Jeanne's death, her body was split into six parts and the Sejren Family head of the time managed to obtain a portion of Jeanne's negatively-charged magical energy-tainted draconic blood. Taking the blood, the Sejren Family head used their Sealing Magic in order to create a seal powerful enough to contain the negatively-charged magical energy, sealing said particles within the formation of the seal; calling it the Corpse Curse Brand (骸呪烙印, Gaijū Rakuin). This Corpse Curse Brand was implanted upon the newest head in the Sejren Clan upon birth, granting them a symbiotic link with Abyssion from the moment they are born into this world. However, Abyssion can possess the person at any given time during the person's lifespan, even while still in their mother's womb or (apparently) just after death.
Corpse Shell was an unfathomably evil power, coming from the recesses of a heart stained with darkness; a darkness so thick that none could hope to escape from it's tainting influence. Essentially, in order to harness the power of Corpse Shell, the user would have to allow the lingering fragments of the negatively-charged magical energy located within their magic origin to emerge, taking over any traces of magical energy that the user could exude, with their draconic blood holding back the negatively-charged magical energy's corrupting influence, while also enabling the user to project it outwards, around their body. This took the form of a pitch-black aura of darkness which surrounded and compressed around their body, distorting their figure into a demonic shell of its humanized self. Normally, Corpse Shell took the form of the user gaining black slashes which form under their eyes, which then thicken noticeably and merge with the shadows formed on their face, which became stylized black; their skin tone also became much darker. The user's entire body turned a horrific pitch-black, with crimson markings around their chest, arms, as well as under and above their eyes. Finally, their hair would spike on end and grew out as twin chains manifested upon their arms. However, some members of the Sejren Family had vastly differing Corpse Shell forms; most notable was Jeanne's own form, which she used to end the Human-Dragon War.
However, for all the physical might and versatility that Corpse Shell provides, it did have one, horribly glaring, weakness—the origins of the magic itself. As Corpse Shell was created through a contract with an Etherious demon who provided negatively-charged magical energy in order to forge the magic, whenever a magician used Corpse Shell, they were tapping into the negatively-charged magical energy, which were toxic to regular magicians. Thanks to their "conditioning", the magicians of the Sejren Family who harnessed the Black Art were slightly resistant to the energies of demons, but since they were harnessing it with the bodies of humans, instead of destroying them from the inside-out horribly, it had a far more sinister effect—slowly, but surely, the negatively-charged magical energy would replace their regular magical energy, corroding their magic origin as their body's physiology slowly changed into that of a demon. This would cause them to forget their own sense of identity, as they became a rampaging monster—just as Abyssion intended.
There were a scarse few ways to avoid this fate; such as using a medium to carry the burden. An example of this would have been the relationship between Excellen Kilekion and Tsuruko Sejren in the original plans for Daybreak. When first activating Corpse Shell, as it took place in the exact same arc where Tsuruko became Gaiki for first time, since Excellen was there, and Tsuruko already had the Hellion known as Star Phoenix sealed within her, Abyssion would have immediately linked to Excellen instead, as her exalted and esper blood could have withstood the degenerative effects of Corpse Shell, causing her to unwittingly become the medium, and thus whenever Tsuruko harnessed Corpse Shell, Excellen would have suffered its effects instead of Tsuruko. The medium method has not shown up in the Sun Trilogy properly, however. To fully remove the corrupting influence of Abyssion, the users of Corpse Shell would have to forge a contract with a true demon; who would bless them with an annulled corruption, allowing them to use the magic to their heart's desire. Aside from those methods, there was no way to reverse or stop Demonization, leaving the users of Corpse Shell with the only option to not use the Black Art in the first place.
Crux in his Corpse Shell form.
Crux Kouga, or better said, Hikari Zanna, is unique in that Crux has a evolved form of the power- as an experimental homunculus created by the Magic Council under Giselle Mercury's supervision in order to get a pardon for Giselle killing the previous Wizard Saints, using her own DNA and Alphonse's in order to create a "stabilized" Corpse Shell, thus technically making her Tsuruko's sister, as a member of the Sejren Family, she inadvertently inherited the Corpse Curse Brand as well. Hikari would eventually become Crux Kouga due to the seal's tainting influence, among other things. Crux's Corpse Shell appears vastly different than the "standard" version of Corpse Shell, being a demonic knight in tones of reds and blacks along with a tattered scarlet cape in addition to the golden eyes that are so characteristic of the Corpse Shell transformation- the black fades to red around the wrists and comes with black gloves that are tucked under the suit. The suit has a red colour on the chest and part of the torso with the Shadow Remnants emblem on the chest. It has red feet and shins that fade into black legs. It has a dark red belt and a cloth around his waist, opening in the front. The cloth is an off-red colour that fades into dark red and is ripped all around at the bottom- this form is known as Corpse Shell: Hades Revenger (
In this form, Crux's trusty Elysdeon blade transforms into its second form known as Elysdeon the Cross (
Crux's Corpse Shell also has a second form known as Corpse Shell Reacted: Hades Revenger -DIABLO- (
Powers and Abilities
Berserk (暴走 (ベルセルク), Beruseruku lit. Out of Control): Berserk was a status ailment that Corpse Shell grants an untrained user, whether or not they want to accept it. Upon activation of Corpse Shell, the corrupting influence of Abyssion would begin to seep into the user's brain, causing them to display a savage, nearly animalistic battle frenzy in which the user's strength and capabilities would dramatically increase. This special effect of Corpse Shell made it seem as if the magic was a vastly more superior version of Mask of Truth—though in reality, the two magics couldn't be further apart. However, it should be taken into consideration that once trained, a user of Corpse Shell was able to activate Berserk on a whim, and unlike the untrained version, an experienced magician did not feel fatigued by its usage; they also showed relative amounts of restraint, as some users were capable of controlling who and what they see as a target. Berserk increased the user's physical parameters to the point that every step that they took would cause a rippling shockwave to be released from their feet, and they were capable of smashing through almost any defenses, either physical or magical, with their bare hands. Indeed, during the Esper Excellen Part II arc, when the Dracolich attacked Luin, Marisa Sejren in Corpse Shell form was shown to be able to effortlessly tear draconic beings in half with her bare hands. In addition, Berserk allowed the user to ignore all senses of pain, even shrugging off the loss of a limb. In that way, it could be considered akin to 'super armour' of fighting games.
Enhanced Physical Prowess: When in Corpse Shell; the users' attributes were drastically enhanced; because, with a simple swing of their weapon, the user was capable of manifesting a violent tremor that obliterated the ground it came into contact with and knocked their foes away; in addition, their blows with their weapon and unarmed were positively overwhelming and could be bone-shattering. The sudden boost in strength upon activating the form allowed the user to break free from any attack which bound them or prevented them from moving. The user could grab a blade with their bare hand without feeling any of the exerted force, though said force could do considerable damage to the surrounding area. In addition, their endurance had been upped significantly; enabling the user to receive damage like it was nothing and ignore all senses of pain—though it should be noted that this varied on the factor of how powerful the blow was. Finally, the Sejren Family member's naturally immense swiftness was augmented to the point that they discarded any need for speed-enhancing techniques, enabling them to outstrip almost anyone in a contest of pure speed. What is interesting to note is that the negatively-charged magical energy enhanced all of the user's moves, greatly increasing their area-of-effect as well as improving their damage.
Enhanced Magical Prowess: Naturally, Corpse Shell also bolstered the user's magical power to the point that it could be considered leaps and bounds above any other magician's. This drastically increased the area-of-effect of any spell that the user casted, and the overall power of the spell; this is best shown with Crux Kouga's Arrow of Light spell, which, normally, would pierce the opponent and then vanish, but in Corpse Shell form, the Arrow of Light is able to drill through nearly any defense and pierce several opponents in a row before it vanishes. Another plus to having their magical energy augmented was that they gained the ability to perform "advanced" versions of their regular spells or new spells entirely; another example regarding Crux is his Ain Soph Aur spell, which is essentially an amalgamation of all of his previous Light Magic spells. However, due to the demonic influence of Abyssion, all of the user's attacks gained a certain black/red tint to it as the spells pulsed ominously, showing the demon's power. When in this form, the user was able to manipulate nonliving matter by changing its atom structure through the sheer force of their aura, i.e. turning air into a wall of water or turning a stone column into a large uprising spike.
Black Arts: Infernity
Black Arts: Infernity (
Any user of Corpse Shell is capable of harnessing the fires of Infernity as naturally as Abyssion can.
The Black Art known as "Infernity" is an extremely powerful one; indeed, it is said to be incapable of being learnt by anyone other than Abyssion or a wielder of Corpse Shell; in the case of the latter, Corpse Shell comes automatically equipped with this Black Art, and wielders of the latter can harness the power of this flames of nothingness at any time. When inducing Infernity, it takes the basic principles of the fact that magic is well-known to be influenced by the willpower of those who can manipulate the particles that composes the concept to the extremes; indeed, the caster projects their magical energies stored within their Magic Origin outwards in a singular pulse, lowing the density of their energies as to enable them to be affected by the emotions of those in the immediate surroundings- this allows the user's magical energies to be influenced by the negativity of those around the caster, or the caster themselves or some combination of the two. In any case, once tainted by negative feelings and thoughts, the caster activates the mechanics to form flames ever-so-similar to that of the likes of Fire Magic and Fire Dragon Slayer Magic and quite possibly many more magics, forcing a domination over the supernatural particles which are saturated within the atmosphere, harnessing their strong willpower in order to excite the movements of the eternano, increasing their thermal energy to the point that the particles strewn about throughout the vicinity spontaneously ignite, forming silver-white flames which are said to be the embodiment of nihility.
Infernity is considered to be the most powerful of fire-element magics to ever exist—even more powerful than flame-related Lost Magic or any fire-Slayer. The power of the spells are such that they are unable to be consumed by any Slayer Magic or manipulated by an outside source no matter what; instead overpowering the foolish magician trying to take their power for their own and devouring their magic in retaliation. Just like every other fire-derived magic and Elemental Magic in general, the user of Infernity is capable of generating and manipulating these silvery-white flames in any way that they deem suitable, allowing for almost limitless potential. The Infernity power can be considered and is referred to as the "Hellfire Curse" (獄炎の呪法, Gokuen no Jūhō); as while magic runs off positive emotions, Curses run off the exact opposite, with their power holding an origin in negative emotions displayed by humans, mainly greed, envy and hatred, making it far more powerful as no matter how many people would display positive emotions, negativity would always be there in a greater quantity- Infernity is no different. The fires of Infernity are highly powerful, overwhelming normal flames of the same quantity or even more with general ease; they are even hotter than any temperature that the earth can produce; though curiously enough, these flares do not destroy everything on earth just by a single spark.
Upon contact with normal beings, the flames of Infernity suddenly become alive, so to speak, and latch onto them, sucking up their energy which allows the fire to intensify; and the user can shape the flames into numerous structures in order to attack. The flames disintegrate everything and anything which the user launches them at, changing it into nothing more than ash, and engulfs the surrounding landscape in a blazing firestorm, the heat of which is intense enough to scorch the sky. The flames act completely separately to regular flames, and pursue an enemy relentlessly with great speed, accuracy and strength. Unlike most superficial flames, Infernity acts as a fast-acting poison which is capable of inflicting many painful effects upon the victim, such as intense headaches, nausea, fever, sickness, muscle spasms, and the ultimate deterioration of the foe's bodily functions; meaning that if one of the user's attacks didn't kill the foe, the effects would, as their body was violently dismantled, piece by piece, causing the foe to suffer an agonizing death; and then their corpse would be disintegrated by the white flames.
The flames produced by Infernity are also infamously hard to douse, as they continue burning even when struck with a large amount of water. When faced with opposing fire techniques, the flames consume them in order to boost their strength and quantity; making using any sort of fire ill-advised against the user; meaning that they have absolute dominance over the element of fire. Not only this, the user has such mastery over the element of fire that they are capable of utilizing the power of Infernity in any way they wish, whether for offensive, defensive, evasive, or supplementary techniques- as long as they can imagine it being doable, then the sky is the limit, more or less. However, Infernity's true power lies in its supplementary ability- slowly, but surely, as the caster of the Black Art begins to become drained from their magical energies from making liberal application of Infernity, the flames produced by the evil power begin to intensity and expand magnificently, and as their negative emotions increase, the fires produced by Infernity will increase in intensity and mass, as well as this, its properties will become more and more otherworldly, as the fire begins to display elemental aspects such as burning, freezing, shocking, etc. Because of this, in the hands of a particularly vengeful user, Infernity can be considered almost apocalyptic in nature when compared to other magics of any and every kind. In fact, not even any Slayers of any element or any Dual-Element Slayer Modes are capable of consuming Infernity—if they did so, the pain they received from the magic would multiply twentyfold, more often than not completely blowing the opponent straight out of the water or kill them instantly.
- Ragna Blast (
黄泉無明長夜流・冥王下月輪 , Raguna Burasuto lit. The Underworld's Long Night of Spiritual Darkness Style: Demon King's Descending Moon Ring): Ragna Blast is a high-levelled Infernity spell- it enables the caster to manifest a blast of white flame resembling a comet. When the user is casting Ragna Blast, the user gathers magical energy from the atmosphere and condenses it upon their blade, adding their own magical power into the mixture, as well as the white flames gathered by the magic, merging the triad of energies and compressing them upon the sword, which causes the blade to become set alight with shining white flames, a flame which can be likened to that of the abyss. The user forces the flames to compress into two small wads which are focused on the tip of their blade; from there, the user raises their blade and stabs forward quickly, releasing the flames in the form of twin enormous pulsating and highly powerful spheres of magical energy that also have the likeness of a comet of immense power, blasting their foe with extreme force twice. This spell has the potential to deal overwhelming damage; as it reacts with the magic origin of the foe and counter-spins it, thus causing their defenses to weaken at the moment of impact; essentially reducing their defenses to zero and inflicting piercing, penetrating damage, unleashing a fiery explosion that deals immense damage; both comets erupt in a powerful surge of flames that even after the strike, they continue to rise, dissipating into the sky. What makes Ragna Blast so special is that the spell will lock onto the opponent's magical energy, chasing after them and curving in abnormal directions in order to reach the enemy. It will continue to chase them, even to the ends of the earth. The reason for the twin comets is that if the opponent defends themselves against the first blast, the second comet will instantly teleport into its place, and then strike the opponent with its own strength, guaranteeing a strike no matter what the enemy does. - Ragna Blade (
黄泉無明長夜流・冥王神滅斬 , Raguna Bureido lit. The Underworld's Long Night of Spiritual Darkness Style: Demon King's God-Destroying Slash): Ragna Blade is a high-levelled Infernity spell- it summons a blade of white flames. When performing Ragna Blade, the user fuels their magic with negative feelings, fusing eternano and magical power, creating pure flames, before using the flames to perfectly replicate the form of an enormous blade composed of negative feelings; the blade is crackling with white energy. Because of this it can only be used in close combat. Ragna Blade is known to be highly sharp and durable, capable of slicing through magical barriers, and its slashes are capable of trailing large amounts of flames in its wake, which can damage the opponent. The moment that the weapon makes contact with the foe via impaling them, the composition of the weapon is altered to cause additional, smaller blades to protrude from the bladed weapon inside of the foe's body, drastically increasing the number of wounds dealt to the foe. When the Ragna Blade comes into contact with an barricade or anything attempting to defend itself against the spell, the flames that composes the Ragna Blade momentarily forges itself into sharp fangs, which tears through the so-called "defense" with ease. Only surpassed in power by Ragna Drive, the Ragna Blade's destructive force is enormous. Its effect extends to magic itself, and no being, not even high-level defensive spells can deflect it, although the stronger demons have bodies too big to be destroyed by a single swipe. It puts a likewise huge strain on the caster as well; it requires great amounts of magical energy to be cast (hence it requires amplification for a human caster), and the mere act of keeping the spell active drains the caster's strength tremendously. - Infernity Extremity: Ragna Exclamation (
獄炎煉我虚無・奥義・黄泉無明長夜流・冥王最力皆合 , Inferuniti Ekusutorīmiti: Raguna Ekusukuramēhon lit. The Refined Hellflames of Nothingness Secret Art: The Underworld's Long Night of Spiritual Darkness Style: Demon King's Supreme Power, All as One): Infernity Extremity: Ragna Exclamation is the strongest spell of Infernity; to use it, the user must reach into the very core of their being; their Magic Origin. Once they do, the user pumps all of their demonic energy into the core, essentially overloading it, additionally adding red blood cells to their body, which in turn allows for greater delivery of oxygen and nutrients to their body, essentially increasing the blood flow by forcing more blood through their blood vessels thus increase their potential. When performing the Ragna Exclamation, the user raises their arms, gathering demonic energy within them and forging a link between the realm of the dead and the current plane of existence. From there, the user summons the souls of the fallen Corpse Shell, and they lend the user their power, being manifested into the physical plane, allowing the user to summon Corpse Shell users of all shapes, sizes, types, and abilities from all possible points in time and space; as well as a few Corpse Shell users that do not exist because no timeline ever leads to their creation. From beyond the infinite come infinite Corpse Shells; filling the entire world, an endless army of Corpse Shells. Corpse Shells without a scratch on them, brand-new. Corpse Shells riddled with scars of many fierce battles, old veterans. Corpse Shells that were incomplete, just a bare frame. Corpse Shells that were destroyed, burning in their last moments of magic. Corpse Shells used by other Sejrens of other timelines. Corpse Shells used by people never seen before. Corpse Shells that had no user at all. Corpse Shells used by something inhuman. Corpse Shells that were not even magical. Corpse Shells made of flesh and blood. Huge Corpse Shells. Tiny Corpse Shells. Corpse Shells shaped like beasts. Corpse Shells that had no form at all. Corpse Shells made of liquid. Corpse Shells made of gas. Corpse Shells made of plasma. Corpse Shells made of stars. Corpse Shells that dual-wielded. Corpse Shells drenched with blood. Corpse Shells with two hearts. Corpse Shells that were people. Corpse Shells leading countless soldiers. Corpse Shells riding giant dragons. Corpse Shells that were space battleships. Corpse Shells with swords of light that could kill planets. Corpse Shells that had become gods. Corpse Shells that had fallen to evil. Corpse Shells fused to people. Corpse Shells that had been reborn as people. Corpse Shells of the past. Corpse Shells of the present. Corpse Shells of the future. Corpse Shells that were possible. Corpse Shells that were not possible. Corpse Shells that roamed the void beyond. Once every single Corpse Shell possibility has been manifested, the user performs a simultaneous Ragna Blast/Blade combo with all of their possibilities; the sheer power of which annihilates everything that it touches. The reason that Ragna Exclamation is a 'death and glory' spell is because, by using this spell the user becomes unstable due to their organs and blood vessels slowly tearing and their magical energy going haywire, beginning to suffer physical and mental deterioration, eventually disintegrating. However, their power increases exponentially during the breakdown; which lasts for five minutes. In spite of the fact that this spell is more than powerful enough to kill almost anything, a single use is enough to heavily strain the user's body.
Relationships
Trivia
- Crux is inspired by Yasunori Kato (加藤保憲), the antagonist from the fantasy film, Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis (aka Teito Monogatari, 帝都物語); a movie that Per watched in New Zealand out of boredom due to the lack of internet access.
- A lot of Crux's plotlines were cut in order to push a new idea, so most of the older ideas were transferred to Kirika Hotsuin
who is best grill.
| Characters |
|---|
| Protagonists |
| Tsuruko Sejren | Giselle Mercury | Gary Straights | Deen Lhant | Excellen Kilekion | Kaguya Kobayashi |
| Antagonists |
| Joker | Kirika Hotsuin | Alexis Tenjouin | Suzuka Kobayashi | Leanne Rockwell | Charlotte Merquise | Culebre | Abyssion | Chakravartin | Amadam | Níðhöggr | Camilla Straights | Klaus | Signa |
| Supporting Characters |
| Sion Kenzaki | Jonas | Marisa Sejren | Kinos Sejren | Alicia Lhant | Velvet Ashdoll |
| Minor Characters |
| Alphonse Sejren | Aigrette Tenjouin | Dzerve Sejren | Hikari Zanna | Mr. E | Ashley Briett |
| Factions |
| Tsuruko Faction | Zodiac Knights | Magic Council | Paranormal Investigation Unit | Allies of Justice | Four Heavenly Kings | Ten Wizard Saints | Amadam's Empire | Preventers |
| Terms |
| Soul Armours | Magius | Hellion | Reionyx | Different Dimensions | Aether | Old World | Zero Effect | Ardor | Deus Machina | Dimension King Style |