Characters
The Xenial Chiba Extrasensory League (XCEL)
Rinkaku Harigane
鎍・麟閣
“If there’s no way forward, I’ll build one myself.”
A teenage prodigy with a fierce determination to achieve his dream of becoming the world’s greatest architect. Driven, self-assured and fiercely independent, Rin is often aloof and rude, dismissive of praise but obsessive about architecture. After receiving the mystical Ascension Blade from his estranged father, Rin is thrust into a life of conflict and forms a contract with The Architect. His Specialty, “Framework,” allows the construction of anything he can imagine from simple geometric shapes.
Kinuka Amibari
編針・絹花
“I’ll find out the truth, and unravel this garment of lies.”
A talented teenage seamstress thrown into a conflict she never ask for, but one she is determined to solve. A kind and empathetic soul, albeit rather intense, Kinuka does the best she can to help. A childhood friend of Rin’s, she is forcibly excelled by the Architect, but chooses to come to her friend’s aid of her own volition. Her “Threadwork” Specialty allows her to transmute matter into thread, and freely recomposite as she sees fit.
Tegata Kage
夏崖・手潟
“I’m no saviour. Just a survivor.”
One of the first successful test subjects of JPRO’s doomed “Project Theia” and a subject of grizzly experimentation as a child, Tegata is one of the only subjects to ever escape containment. Haunted by the shadows of those he’s been unable to save, he suffers under guilt no-one could ever blame him for. A hyperskilled combatant and master of the psychic arts, his “Shadow Puppet” allows him to animate the shadows of the fallen for one last dance with death.
Jūsei Kan’on
観音・銃声
“I can’t hear a word you’re saying, but I still want to shoot you.”
Another of JPRO’s “Project Theia,” doomed to rot inside a fugue-state prison until her rescue, Juusei is an explosive livewire with an especially short fuse and believes violence to be a question to which the answer is always “yes.” JPRO’s experimentation and testing has rendered her completely deaf, but a master of reading lips, Her Specialty, “Gun,” is as simple as it is powerful: the expulsion of pure psychic energy bullets from the tips of her fingers. Bang.
Ruri Karakusa
唐草・瑠璃
“…”
A mute and extremely gentle giant who appeared in the nick of time to save Kinuka’s life from the wrath of Gus Ishimatsu. Another of Project Theia, their true name, history and even gender remains a mystery. While given a new name given on the night of their emancipation, their thoughts remain their own. With their “Deadlock” Specialty, however—freezing anything relative to something else—they become both the unstoppable force and the immovable object.
Shibaru Harigane
鎍・縛
“… besides, you’re his friend. In this household, that’s enough for me to treat you as my own.”
A frighteningly fierce yet tenderly kind old woman and Rin’s paternal grandmother, who takes them in at their lowest point and pledges her undying support. Awakened by proxy when Rin underwent the Excel Ritual, her “House Rules” Specialty allows her to set impenetrable commandments over those in her household.
The Japanese Parapsychological Research Organisation (JPRO)
Caesar Augustus Ishimatsu
石松・ガス
“A god becomes surprisingly petty when they perceive a threat to their empty throne.”
Half-American; international pariah; a tyrannical, messianic force of nature, the CEO of JPRO seeks to carve out a new order where the strong of heart, body and mind can prosper, uninhibited by the weakness of the masses. His sheer volume and intensity of psychic energy is monumental, and his Specialty, “Overpower,” allows him to adapt his flow to counter anything in his grasp.
Yūgo Chisōri
千總理・融合
“… Let me remind you of who the boss has entrusted with the actual work. It’s Doctor Chisori to you. Remember that.”
The Head of JPRO Synthetics. A large and eerily jubilant middle-aged fellow blended seamlessly with a ruthless man of science. Progress for progress’ sake, for there is no sake otherwise.
Zuisaya Nōri
脳理・髄鞘
“Pain is the most significant evolutionary mechanism; it punishes unfavourable behaviour.”
The Head of JPRO Biologics, a wicked, sadistic and snakelike woman who pioneered the doomed “Project Theia” as a way to mould the impressionable minds of children into subservient psychic supersoldiers.
Danjirō Tekkōri
鉄鋼理・断事郎
“Hope you like ‘em, because there’s no refund policy for psychopaths who enjoy ripping the wings off butterflies.”
The Head of JPRO Mechanics. An imposing, solemn man with two hulking black metal arms. There’s no doubt as to what happened, but there’s no chance you’re brave enough to ask.
“The Queen”
女王
“This girl has no mind. Not anymore.”
The Rejected’s only peace: a sugary, calming voice that gives them will, gives them purpose. Without it, they are mere beasts. The Queen is known to all of JPRO, yet she is known by very few. In the lapses of consciousness, you can almost hear her in the back of your mind.
Kiyosumi Sakazuki
盃・清澄
“And don’t worry. The information a patient tells me during our sessions remains strictly confidential.”
A kind, albeit reserved and aloof psychiatrist working for JPRO Psychologics in Tokyo, and Hideyori Hakana’s biological twin sister. On awakening of her “Glasswork” Specialty—the power to reshape the soul, healing on the spiritual level—she has been treated as a close-guarded secret in JPRO’s inner circle.
The Glass Eyes
Hideyori Hakana
儚・秀頼
“The truth of this world can only be found in the Moment.”
Head of the Glass Eyes, JPRO’s specialized hit-squad of psyche users. A callous, ruthless, and unpredictable man of mystery with a mobster’s getup, double-strap eyepatch, and a chimney’s smoking habit. His uncanny ability to be know everything and be everywhere all at once—eyes and ears in every corner—made possibly by his “Moment” Specialty, and its never-ending network of interlinked pocket dimensions, all contained within those mesmerizing glass orbs.
Meguru Yoha
余波・恵流
“Luck is just a flow… All I do is just give things a little nudge, and everything just falls into place.”
Casual, lackadaisical enforcer extraordinaire for the Glass Eyes, Meguru is an unkempt, handsome devil who supersedes all possible expectations by being so actively lazy, you almost have to give him credit. He lives a life of concentrated ease: completely untoucheable, and he knows it. He’s the only member of their company without a third eye. Don’t let your guard down. His “Chaos Theory” places him at the centre of a consequential singularity. Nothing can hurt him; everything will hurt you.
Tōji Yamashita
山下・陶磁
“Do all the work, get none of the credit. That’s how it always will be, won’t it?”
A formidable, stalwart and hardworking man with muscle and appetite to match, Yamashita has been with JPRO the longest out of all the Glass Eyes. His fraught past as a construction foreman and bloodied shovel gave him cause to lay the foundations with his “Groundwork” Specialty for JPRO’s main base of operations in the cognitive world, the eponymous Nowhere.
Tan’in Mokuzo
木像・短陰
“Everyone has their role to play; everyone has their strings.”
A guarded and conniving woman, Mokuzo has a scary knack for controlling others from behind the scenes to suit a hidden agenda, fitting, given her past as a political assassin. Her Specialty, “Woodwork,” allows her to animate and disguise indestructible wooden puppets that feed and grow off ambient psychic energy.
Rikiya Atsura
圧羅・力也
“Fear can prevent you from treading a regrettable path, to stop you before crossing the Rubicon.”
A bushido samurai who has long since lost his way, noble and proud, Atsura stands testament to a bygone era of misplaced morals in an extremely unethical line of work. A zealot of Gus Ishimatsu’s philosophy of Strength, he walks a symmetrical path of atonement towards that light in the hope it absolves his past life. His Specialty, “Eight-Span Mirror,” creates that symmetry, carving mirrors along the arcs of his iaido draws that reflect the world itself.
Tsūshin Techūkara
手中空・通信
“The sun will rise again.”
The only product of “Project Theia” to be worthy of the Glass Eyes, and a perfect example of JPRO’s crimes. Once a kind girl, full of life, rendered completely broken: a husk, completely devoid of any personality or life. Sadder still, her only worth comes from her valuable Specialty: “Jammer” can effectively disable other Psyche Users by interrupting their connection with the Eye, and so she has been transformed into little more than a “tool” for JPRO to use at their convenience.
Sasuki Yoshine
吉音・指揮
“You are not grateful!”
One of Japan’s greatest orchestral prodigies of the last century, Sasuki led an illustrious musical career as a flutist before becoming a composer and conductor. When wrongly accused of sexual misdemeanor, however, his legacy was forever ruined. He and his brother Kanekuda were sentenced to death for the brutal first-degree murder of the envious whistleblower, before being liberated by Gus. Sasuki’s “Flute” Specialty, sways the heart of his audience and creates lifelike illusions that can cause real harm.
Kanekuda Yoshine
吉音・金管
“Shows over, buddy. This is the final note.“
A mute instrumental prodigy, and enforcer for the Glass Eyes. Following in his brother’s footsteps, Kanekuda was a word-class brass player and graduate from the Kyoto City University of Arts. However, when his brother’s reputation was besmirched, Kanekuda was the one to personally bludgeon the culprit to death. Given a new lease on life by Gus Ishimatsu, Kanekuda’s “Horn” Specialty turns his trumpet playing into an instrument of pure destruction.
Dentaku Bangō
万劫・典琢
“All this time, I’ve been chasing an idol.“
An extremely talented young mathematician and Rinkaku Harigane’s self-professed greatest rival, Bango’s ambition is exploited by JPRO, recruited into the Glass Eyes as a countermeasure to Rin’s potential. Bango, however, only seeks to use the organisation as a stepping stone to achieve true greatness and surpass Rin once and for all. His “Number Theory” allows him to actualise mathematical concepts to aid him in combat to devastating effect.
Other Characters
Katsuro Harigane
鎍・活路
“They laughed at my work; who’s laughing now?“
Rin’s absentee father, and Tokyo University’s former Director of Egyptology; obsessed with finding the legendary “Tomb of Horus’ Banished Disciple,” Katsuro was subject to ridicule from the archaeological community until his JPRO-sponsored expedition accomplished the unthinkable. He soon paid the price for his curiosity by unleashing the other half of the Ascension Blade and with it, the truth of the Excel Ritual. Desperate to keep from JPRO’s hands, he sent the fragment to his only son, before being locked in a JPRO prison cell, rotting in the knowledge of his own mistake.
“The Architect”
アルキテクト
“Those dead gods cannot, must not decide your fate.“
An enigmatic spirit that appeared in Rinkaku Harigane’s subconscious after he performed the Excel Ritual in a desperate bid to save his own life. Offering a contract to grant Rin power in exchange for accomplishing his dream of rebuilding the world in his own image, the Architect’s majesty and surly mentoring serve as an obstacle for Rin to overcome, a reminder of the perspective he must attain. His true intentions, however, remain nebulous.
Nagora Ibuse
井伏・拏後騾
“Right place, right time—remember?“
Former secret service, now a detective for Chiba City Police: Ibuse witnessed the Senketsu Incident in person, took lead of the investigation into Rinkaku Harigane, before suffering a visit and blessing from the enigmatic Toshina. After a few tense confrontations, he became a key ally to Rin and the XCEL Group, determined to find out the truth. His past with GSPEC, however, means he might have more involvement with all this after all.
Aiko Yakuhin
薬品・愛子
“That’s the tone of someone who knows. I knew there was something different about you.“
An architecture master’s student from Sapporo University, Aiko was caught up in the Kawarajima Distortion and managed to survive the fate of Rejection, before Rinkaku Harigane unwittingly came to her rescue. She asserts she wants to help, but how much perspective can someone uninvolved add to events an entire plane beyond her comprehension?
Kemuri
ケムリ
“O tranquility, penetrating the very rock. A cicada’s voice.“
A specialized reject made by Yugo Chisori as part of the “Defined” initiative. A malevolent cloud of smoke given fleeting consciousness by Hideyori Hakana, it was deployed to retrieve Kinuka Amibari for reasons as of yet unknown from the Yorusada Mall, before its defeat at the end of Juusei Kanon’s barrel.
The Nine
The Eye
元眼
The first of the Nine Primordial Phenomena, and source of all human consciousness: a terrifying celestial eye that floats at the centre of the cognitive world, and acts as the locus for all of humanity’s cognition, including all psychic powers. It has no will of its own, no agency, because it contains the souls of all who have once, will ever, or do currently exist.
Toshina
年無
“Forgive me, detective; sometimes, the plot just spoils itself.“
Primordial Phenomenon of Time; a fickle and irritatingly cryptic androgynous fellow that first appeared to Nagora Ibuse, offering assistance with this investigation. He seems fascinated in observing the events to occur, always knowing far more than he lets on.
Ashinaga
脚長
“Do not look down, son of man. You must rise above!”
Primordial Phenomenon of The Fall; lord of the sky and heavens, Ashinaga is an unimaginably tall titan with power over space and gravity itself. Attempted to dissuade Gus Ishimatsu from his path, the phenomenon was surprised by the man’s blazing refusal to abandon his dream, and his supernal strength.
Rin’ne
輪廻
“Might this be the final cycle?”
Primordial Phenomenon of Death; a compassionate and shrouded, skeletal female spirit clad in white shawls of silk that was responsible for the tear in reality that caused the Kawarajima Distortion, out of sheer curiosity to see the events unfolding.
Naraka
奈落
“There is much sin, even here.”
Primordial Phenomenon of Hell; a grotesque, gargoylean demon bound in thick chains, punishment for sinners of the world.
XCEL 