Ōgon Musōkyoku (黄金夢想曲?, lit. Golden Fantasia)

STORYLINE


Ōgon Musōkyoku (黄金夢想曲^?, lit. Golden Fantasia), is a 2D versus fighting game developed and published by 07th Expansion. It is considered a side spin-off of the Umineko no Naku Koro ni murder mystery visual novel series and was originally released at Comiket 79 on December 31, 2010. The game was ported to the Xbox 360 by Alchemist in October 2011 as Ōgon Musōkyoku X, including new characters and balance tweaks. An append disc for the original game, titled Ōgon Musōkyoku Cross, was released at Comiket 81 on December 31, 2011.

CHARACTER

Ange Ushiromiya (右代宮 縁寿 Ushiromiya Enje^?)

Voiced by: Rina Satō

Ange is Rudolf and Kyrie's six-year-old daughter, and Battler's sister. She could not come to the island in 1986 due to a sickness. After the events of Banquet of the Golden Witch, she is raised by Eva after she returns alive from Rokkenjima, and studies to become the next family head. However, she is put through many hardships, particularly due to Eva's belief that her son George should have been the next head, especially after Eva's genuine desire to raise Ange as though she were her own daughter is poisoned when Bernkastel manipulates a young Ange into rejecting Eva as a surrogate mother. Before her death in 1998, Eva passes down the gold and the title of the Ushiromiya family head down to Ange. Ange decides to try her luck and see if she was really supposed to be alive when her entire family is dead by jumping off a skyscraper, knowing that there is construction going on several floors down and that she might land on a safety net. When she survives, she decides to figure out the truth of Rokkenjima in 1986. Like her brother, she has a habit of saying, "It's useless, it's all useless" during difficult situations. At the end of Alliance of the Golden Witch, the witch version of Ange is violently torn apart when she reveals her true identity to Battler; however, her human self appears to survive and continues to investigate the true circumstances involving Rokkenjima. In Twilight of the Golden Witch, Ange finally attends the family conference of 1986. At the end of the series, it turns out that Battler is telling her a tale in order to hide the truth from her. Ange however refuses to accept anything but the truth despite its sorrowful meaning, and as a result sets in motion the climax of the 8th chapter of the story.

Battler Ushiromiya (右代宮 戦人 Ushiromiya Batora^?)

Voiced by: Daisuke Ono

Battler is Rudolf's 18-year-old son, and the main protagonist of the series. Although stubborn and hotheaded, he is a very compassionate young man. He tends to flirt with young women and has a perpetual fear of "shaky" transportation, thinking he may fall out of a plane or boat depending on the turbulence. Due to his father's remarriage, Battler rebelled and went to live with his maternal grandparents for the next six years, cutting all ties to the Ushiromiya family. After his grandparents' deaths, he returned to his family, though he had not fully reconciled with his father. He is greatly influenced by Kyrie's "flip the chessboard" mindset, which allows him to predict his enemies' thoughts based on the situation at hand. He has a habit of saying Dameda, zenzen dameda (駄目だ、全然駄目だ^?, lit. "It's useless, it's all useless") when in a difficult situation. One of the main themes of the series is Battler's disbelief in the existence of witches and magic, which is put to the test when his family and friends are murdered in mysterious ways that seemingly cannot be carried out through human means. Though he is convinced that the culprit is human, he is reluctant to suspect his loved ones as the culprits. The end of the series reveals that Battler is a shell of his former self, as after a bomb went off on the island and killed everyone but him and Yasu (and Eva, who escaped the explosion); Yasu herself died afterward. The resulting trauma turned his hair stark white, and the stories of chapter 3–6 are from his recollections of the events narrated to the woman he is living with, Toya.

Beatrice (ベアトリーチェ Beatorīche^?)

Voiced by: Sayaka Ohara

Beatrice is the Golden and Endless Witch, and the primary antagonist of the series for the first four games. She is affectionately referred to as "Beato" (ベアト^?) starting in Banquet of the Golden Witch. She first appears in the "Tea Party" of Legend of the Golden Witch, where she confronts Battler over his refusal to accept that his friends and family were killed by magic, and challenges him to a game in which he must prove otherwise from Turn of the Golden Witch onward. A witch who has lived for over a thousand years, she is said to appear as a cloud of golden butterflies, and has the power to summon higher demons among the 72 pillars to serve her. It is said that humans can summon her to have their wishes granted in exchange for compensation, though she often acts whimsically. She is the one rumored to have given Kinzo ten tons of gold and served under him as the alchemic advisor to the Ushiromiya family. There are also rumors of a woman named Beatrice who was kept by Kinzo as a mistress in a hidden mansion on Rokkenjima called Kuwadorian until her death in 1967.

At first glance, her personality is extremely twisted in that she does not necessarily make the best move for herself if it means confusing or maddening her opponents. Regarding Battler, Beatrice brings their game to the meta-world where she tries to make the scenarios presented in each game as fantastical as possible in the hopes that it will make him surrender. Despite this, she is nothing more than an immature child at heart who only wants to play with toys she does not have to worry about breaking. Regardless, this facade regarding her reasons for the game is mostly shattered by the end of End of the Golden Witch, in which she is killed due to giving up on everything and letting go. Battler tries resurrecting her in Dawn of the Golden Witch, realizing that she was actually trying to aid him the whole time, but is only able to conjure up a new Beatrice, since the old one had died. This Beatrice has none of the memories of the previous Beatrice, but may become like her if given a thousand years. She meets a second Beatrice who acts like the original but knows nothing about Battler or the game he plays. The new Beatrice refers to this Beatrice as "older sister," and the second Beatrice is known as the "Witch of Rokkenjima". At the end of Dawn of the Golden Witch, she recollects all of her memories and saves Battler from his closed room by challenging Erika in a duel and winning. She is finally revealed to be a part of Yasu, specifically, her strong side, the source of her magic, and the part of her that loves Battler.

Chiesters

The Chiester Sisters Imperial Guard Corps (シエスタ姉妹近衛兵 Shiesuta Shimai Konoehei^?) are bunny-girl weapons who can only be summoned by witches and sorcerers with a substantial amount of summoning skills. They are also called "Siesta" as a result a mistranslation. They attack using bows and arrows of light that fire potent beams of light which kill instantly on impact; the lone exception being Battler due to his invincible anti-magic shield. In End of the Golden Witch it is revealed that whoever is the Game Master is also immune. It is said that there is no escape from the Chiesters' attacks, and they can even locate targets from far parts of the island and retrieve the corpses of whom they have killed; despite this, the Chiesters appear to be far from fearless, being terrified away twice when it appeared that their attacks had been useless against both Beatrice and Battler in Banquet of the Golden Witch. They have red eyes, bunny ears, and elaborate military-styled outfits.

It is hinted that they are connected to Maria in many different ways: Maria owns a set of ceramic musician rabbit toys said to wear uniforms resembling theirs; they bear a cross-shaped crest on their left arms, which resembles the last character in Maria's name, "a" (亞^?); and they are highly protective of Maria when she is around and willing to carry out her orders, such as during the Tea Party of Banquet of the Golden Witch. The only known witches and sorcerers who have been able to summon the Chiesters are Eva-Beatrice, Goldsmith, and Erika Furudo. Beatrice can also summon them, but she has only done so in the Beatrice's White Day tips. Their true master is referred to as Pendragon, or the "Dragon King", who is only mentioned by name. Their true form is the rabbit figures that Maria once owned. The name "Chiester" is a corruption of Winchester, a rifle that is in Kinzo's possession

Eva-Beatrice (エヴァ・ベアトリーチェ Eva Beatorīche^?)

Voiced by: Miki Itō

Eva-Beatrice is a witch who resides within Eva's heart. She represents all of Eva's dark desires from her childhood, including her greed for the Ushiromiya family inheritance; as such, she has the appearance of Eva as a young girl. She first appears in Banquet of the Golden Witch, where she helps Eva solve the riddle of Beatrice's epitaph, leading to her discovery of Kinzo's hidden gold and her inheritance of the Ushiromiya family. As stipulated in the epitaph, Eva inherits the name "Beatrice" and is granted the titles of Golden and Endless Witch, with Lambdadelta as her guardian. Eva-Beatrice is described by Ange as a "black witch", meaning she manipulates others through anger and hatred. In many ways, she is even crueler than the original Beatrice, using her Endless Magic to "play" with her victims by killing them in bizarre ways (drowning in a sea of jelly, crushing under a mountain of cake) before resurrecting them and killing them again, repeating the cycle until she tires. She is very mocking of others, repeatedly taunting them by saying, Heso demo kande shinjaebā? (ヘソでも噛んで死んじゃえばぁ?^?, lit. "Why don't you bite at your belly button and die?"). While she appears to have been destroyed when Beatrice apparently denies the existence of witches using the Red Truth at the end of Banquet of the Golden Witch, Eva-Beatrice lingers around those possessing strong anger and hatred and reappears as long as the real Eva continues to have profound negative feelings in her heart.

Kanon (嘉音^?)

Voiced by: Yū Kobayashi

Kanon is a young servant of Kinzo's mansion. His real name is Yoshiya (嘉哉^?). He is a serious and fervent servant, carrying out his master's orders thoroughly. He is a bit frail and antisocial. He considers Shannon as an older sister and highly disapproves of her feelings for George, as he believes she should not feel love as she is only furniture. He has feelings for Jessica, which he tries to hide from even himself, because he thinks of himself as "furniture", rather than a human being. However, it is shown that he still deeply wishes to become a human being, and hopes to do so when he reaches the Golden Land. In Dawn of the Golden Witch, he confesses to Jessica and they become a couple. He is willing to do whatever he can so he can be with Jessica as a human and be worthy of her love. Based on what Beatrice has shown Battler, he is able to use a red blade of light in battle and link with Shannon. Despite seeing himself to be in despair, he actually has surprisingly good relations with others on the island. After he is revealed to be part of Yasu, Kanon turns out to be the person who can both hold her pain yet be strong while doing so, which is responsible for his charisma.

Lucifer (ルシファー Rushifā^?)

Voiced by: Yuka Saitō

Representing the fallen angel Lucifer and the corresponding sin of pride, she is the eldest among all the Stakes of Purgatory and acts as their leader. Lucifer is based on the servant Ruon (瑠音^?). She is extremely insecure, knowing herself to be the most inferior to her sisters, and fears what they would do if they found out. As such, she acts arrogant and conceited to keep her weaknesses from being discovered. Despite that, she takes pleasure in surrendering on her own accord. Lucifer's appearance is a girl with long, straight black hair.

Ronove (ロノウェ Ronowe^?)

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita

Ronove is the 27th highest ranking earl of hell named after the demon of the same name. Ronove serves as Beatrice's (and later, Battler's) butler and head furniture. He often serves black tea and cookies to Beatrice and her guests. Nonchalant, he often bears a mysterious smile that is hard to interpret, even for his master. Even though he is bound by contract with Beatrice, he does not hesitate to state facts to tease her. He shares a link with Genji Ronoue, similar to the one held by Virgilia and Chiyo Kumasawa. In Alliance of the Golden Witch, he engages Jessica in combat, where he utilizes barriers for both offense and defense, generating strong ones to both deflect attacks and launch enemies backwards. He can also use a special barrier that returns damage back to the attacker.

Shannon (紗音 Shanon^?)

Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya

Shannon is a young maid of Kinzo's mansion. Her real name is Sayo (紗代^?). She has a habit of making mistakes and blunders when she is nervous, despite being an extremely talented and hardworking servant. She thinks of Kanon as her younger brother, and like him, she feels she is inferior to humans, as she is only furniture. Despite this, she falls in love with George. In Turn of the Golden Witch, it is revealed that she broke a mirror sealing some of Beatrice's power in return for a spell to bring her and George together in 1985, and in Legend of the Golden Witch, she accepts his proposal, as she is wearing the ring on her ring finger when she is killed. Based on what Beatrice has shown Battler, she has magic powers that let her create barriers, interrupt magic attacks, and link with Kanon. She is one of the characters who remembers Battler the most before his return, quoting his embarrassing speeches and even asking Rudolf about him every year. Shannon is actually a persona of Yasu, as the person that Yasu had most wanted to be.

Virgilia (ワルギリア Warugiria^?)

Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue

Virgilia was the previous Endless Witch before Beatrice, and was also her teacher. Her new name (having passed her old one to her student) comes from the Divine Comedy character Virgil, who guides Dante through Hell and Purgatory to Beatrice, who is his guide through Heaven. She is a silver-haired witch with great powers, despite surrendering most of them to Beatrice with the title of the "Endless Witch". She assists Battler during Banquet of the Golden Witch, helping him to come up with theories to counter the claims that Beatrice sets forth, though it is revealed in the end that her allegiances lie entirely with Beatrice, having worked with and secretly assisted her throughout the game in an effort to make Battler accept the existence of witches. However, she ends up becoming Battler's ally once again in End of the Golden Witch when Battler becomes the Endless Sorcerer. She is a dangerous opponent, as she can beat Beatrice in combat if not for a surprise attack. She is also somewhat bumbling as well. She is actually a manifestation of Kumasawa, in the way that Yasu saw her as a child.

Ar tonelico: The Girl Who Continues to Sing at the End of the World (アルトネリコ世界の終わりで詩い続ける少女 Aru toneriko Sekai no Owari de Utai Tsudzukeru Shōjo?)

STORYLINE

Ar tonelico takes place in the world of Sol Ciel, which literally translates to "Sun Sky" in Latin and French, respectively, but means "Shining Sky/World" in the game's own language. The world consists of the living Tower of Ar tonelico and the Wings of Horus, a landmass connected to the lower portion of the Tower. Each section of the world above and below The Wings of Horus is designated with a specific name. The lower world is known to for its small towns and is not considered to be very technologically advanced. The upper world is very advanced, and the Floating City of Platina is even considered to be a holy sanctuary by the Church of Elemia from the lower world.

The Tower exists at the center of the world and is made from technology that was available prior to the world-destroying catastrophe known as the Grathnode Inferia. There is little land left after the two catastrophes of the past, so people have become increasingly dependent on Ar tonelico. The Tower functions much like a computer program, and is susceptible to viruses, which are emerging at an alarming rate to wreak havoc on both the upper and lower worlds.

The world of Sol Ciel is inhabited by two main races: Human and Reyvateil. Reyvateils are a manufactured race who were originally created to maintain Ar tonelico. They are designed to resemble humans in every way except for their lifespan and their ability to communicate with the Tower. All Reyvateils are female regardless of their birth history.

There are three different types of Reyvateils. Reyvateil Origins are the original Reyvateils who were created with a specific purpose in mind. They have a perfect connection to the Tower. They are considered the parents of all β-type and Third Generation Reyvateils because the lower class Reyvateils are in some way related to them.^[5]

The second type, β-type Reyvateils, are clones of Reyvateil Origins.^[5] They are mortal, though they still live significantly longer than humans; approximately 150 years.^[5]

The last type, Third Generation Reyvateils, are born from relationships between humans and Reyvateils. Due to the strain that the power of Ar tonelico puts on their bodies, they tend to have naturally short life spans of only 14 to 20 years.^[6] There is a life-extending agent called Diquility that can only be produced by the Church of Elemia (エル・エレミア教会 Eru Eremia-kyoukai^?) and the Tenba Conglomerate (天覇 Tenpa^?), but it must be applied every 3 months, and the cost of obtaining it is prohibitive. Consequently, many Third Generation Reyvateils choose to join one of the above-mentioned organizations in order to obtain Diquility for free.

CHARACTERS

Lyner Barsett (ライナー・バルセルト Rainā Baruseruto^?)

Voiced by: Masahide Fuse (Japanese), Snazin Smith (English)

Age: 18

Height: 171 cm

Weight: 59 kg

Lyner is an energetic teenager and the main character of the game. He was born in Platina, a city situated on the mid-upper level of the tower. Fathered by the governor of Platina, Lyner has access to the local government and he is granted access to the majority of the Tower (he's also adept in the Hymmnos language). However, instead of following in his father's footsteps, he joined the Knights of Elemia. Because of his natural-born talent, he was quickly promoted to the Knights of Elemia and protects the city with Shurelia. He is often reckless and impulsive, much in line with the archetypal young hero, wanting to save everyone whether he's risking his life or not.

Aurica Nestmile (オリカ・ネストミール Orika Nesutomīru^?)

Voiced by: Ui Miyazaki (Japanese), Kari Wahlgren (English)

Hymns Voiced by: Haruka Shimotsuki

Age: 17

Height: 160 cm

Weight: 44 kg

Aurica is a a 3rd generation Reyvateil. Because of her birth circumstances, she is classified as a Class-D Reyvateil, the lowest rank. Before the present time in the game, her home, Skuwat Village, was inflitrated by the Tenba Conglomorate. The Teru Tribe attacked Tenba while they were camped in Skuwat Village and the ensuing battle destroyed the town. Her parents went missing during the raid and she was later told that they died. However, she did not see their bodies firsthand, causing her serious mental trauma. Afterwards, she joins the Church of Elemia to work as a Reyvateil, in hopes of becoming one of the Holy Maidens. She appears inferior and gloomy at first but is getting more cheerful after met with Lyner. She is close friends with Claire, a singer in Nemo who also her childhood friend. She has a very strange way of cooking, though the food she makes always ends up tasting really good, while being almost obscene in appearance. Her dream is to open a music box shop.

Misha Arsellec Lune (彌紗・アルトセルク・リューン Misha Arutoseruku Ryūn^?)

Voiced by: Sakura Nogawa (Japanese), Karen Strassman (English)

Hymns Voiced by: Akiko Shikata

Age: 18

Height: cm

Weight: kg

Misha is a β pure-blood Reyvateil, also known to the Teru Tribe as the Hoshiyomi or Star Singer Her main purpose in life is to sing the song Chronicle Key to suppress Mir. She has been friends with Lyner since their childhood in Platina. He doesn't remember about her at first, though. She is also a good cook. She seems dispassionate, composed, but sometimes childish. Misha is quite bold and doesn't hesistate to make moves on Lyner. She suffers from acrophobia, and is also quite a klutz. It's worth noting that, despite being older than Aurica, she is trapped in a 12-year old girl body until her Song is recovered. After that, she regains her true form.

Shurelia (シュレリア Shureria^?)

Voiced by: Kanako Sakai (Japanese), Paula Tiso (English)

Hymns Voiced by: Noriko Mitose

Age: 738

Height: 156 cm

Weight: 38 kg

Shurelia is the administrator of Platina and the leader of the Knights of Elemia. As her direct subordinate, Lyner both admires and respects her. Although it is well-known that she is a Reyvateil, and a very powerful one at that, the identity of her Reyvateil type is left as a mystery for most of the game. It is only revealed partway through Phase 3 that she is in fact a Reyvateil Origin and in terms of sheer power, is second only to Mir. Though, she looks cold at first, Shurelia is actually shy and quite clumsy (sometimes she trips and lands with her face while chanting spells). She has no sense of direction and often gets lost, even in her own tower. She has a great fondness for bunnies and their related stuff (from dolls to bunny-shaped food to the point of bombs and restoring items). Aurica had once mistaken her for a robot because of her Linkage costume. Tough, extremely serious and no-nonsense as her role demands, she reveals herself to be desperate in gaining some sort of freedom and have a more ordinary, enjoyable life. She is the creator of Grathmelding, and has vast knowledge about technology. Her true name is Eoria/Eolia.

Jack Hamilton (ジャック・ハミルトン Jakku Hamiruton^?)

Voiced by: Nobutoshi Canna (Japanese), Spike Spencer (English)

Age: 19

Height:

Weight:

Jack is a wandering gunman and is the first person Lyner meets in the Lower World. At first he is a mysterious character who never reveals his true intentions, however as gameplay continues more about him is discovered. His real name is Harmonica and he is a former member of the Teru Tribe, who had been searching for Misha for six years. He and Misha became friends after she had left Platina. Jack's standing in the Teru Tribe is unknown, but he seems to have a deep connection with Flute and Tastiella (he calls Tastiella "Granny", much to her chagrin). Also, he worries a lot about Misha, having taken care of her as a surrogate big brother after she made to the Lower World. He lost one arm and part of his torso during an incident before the beginning of the game, and since then had a mechanical plate and arm to replace them. His arm mounts a multi-barreled gatling gun.

Krusche Elendia (クルシェ・エレンディア Kurushe Erendia^?)

Voiced by: Yoshino Nanjō (Japanese), Jessica Straus (English)

Age: 15

Height:

Weight:

Krusche is a Grathmelder specializing in airship repairs. She also does the repairs for Jack's arm, and has quite the competitive streak, especially around Misha. In her past she had a boyfriend named Luke, who had left in an airship to attempt passing the Blastline. He never returned and afterwards Krusche has been determined since then on getting there herself and seeing if she could find any clues about what happened to him. She is sometimes bold and lacks some softness, and she wields a huge chainsaw in combat. Her ability in engineering is noted by Tenba later in the game, and she is employed as chief engineer.

Ayatane Michitaka (絢胤 箕嵩 (アヤタネ・ミチタカ)^?)

Voiced by: Shōta Kibe (Japanese), Liam O'Brien (English)

Age: looks 19

Height: 172 cm

Weight: 59 kg

Ayatane is a Knight of Elemia, and Lyner's best friend. He seems to have great admiration for Shurelia, possibly even romantic feelings for her. He is a sophisticated and gentle pacifist who's constantly smiling as seen throughout the game. Ayatane often speaks to no one in particular, mentioning someone he calls Mother, who is later revealed and clarified deeper in the game. While being male, he has an extremely feminine appearance.

During the Phase 2 of the game, Ayatane performs a strange but special ability that wiped out a virus by merely raising his arm straight forward. Although Lyner and the others questioned him of his power--Radolf specifically--he only says that it was a special occasion, and should be kept unspoken of.

It is later revealed that Ayatane is a virus that was specifically designed by Mir rather than being a simple spawn like the others in the game. His purpose was to get close to Shurelia and later have Mir forced into her to take control, which is found to be successful much later in the game. Ayatane also takes Mei Mei's sister, the Child of Light, and has her attack Lyner and his party. When she was defeated and attempted to finish the group off with a huge amount of energy, Ayatane leaps in the way, admitting that even though he had merely been created to act it out, he truly considered Lyner as a friend, thus having a strong bond that made him feel guilty and regret. After Lyner tells Ayatane that they could save Mir by going against her and convincing her to live with them, he joins the party for the rest of the game.

However, because he was a special creation of Mir's, the latter treats and sees him as her son. This is later clarified when Mir had possessed Ayatane for his betrayal and only summoned a guardian to have a virus control it, knocking him out in the process with a lightning spell rather than deleting him.

High School DxD (ハイスクールD×D Haisukūru Dī Ekkusu Dī?)

STORYLINE

Issei Hyodo is a second-year high school student attending Kuoh Academy (駒王学園 Kuō Gakuen^?) who has an enormous sexual addiction and very lascivious behavior. He lives a peaceful life until he is called for a date with a girl named Yuma Amano. At the conclusion of the date, Issei is brought to a local park and Yuma asks him if he wants to know what her wish is. Under the impression of receiving a kiss from the girl, Issei is shocked when Yuma whispers the words "Can you die for me?" and transforms into a Fallen Angel. Issei is brutally attacked and killed by Yuma. Issei wakes up the next morning, believing the events that occurred were all just a dream. Immediately afterwards, he notices Rias Gremory (a third-year student at his high school) naked in his room. Rias reveals her identity as a Devil to Issei and claims that she has reincarnated him as a Devil who will serves as an underling to her and the Gremory Devil Family.

CHARACTERS

Issei Hyodo


Voiced by: Yūki Kaji

Issei Hyodo (兵藤 一誠 Hyōdō Issei^?) is the male protagonist of the series. He is a pervert who has a habit of fantasizing, and is well known for being creepy at the Academy, but, in contrast to this, he is also surprisingly hot-blooded and hard-working. His first girlfriend suddenly kills him, but Rias saves him and brings him back to life as a Devil of her own clan, making him a member of the Occult Research Club. His rank is "Pawn", and his powers as a Devil are low-ranking, but on his left arm he wields a Sacred Gear called "Boosted Gear". He works hard day and night for the sake of his master and the highest-ranking Devil, Rias. His goal is to one day rise in rank into a high-class Devil so that he can gather his own servants and create his own harem.

Despite the fact that he is a pervert, he attracts numerous girls around him: Rias, Asia, Akeno, Koneko, Zenovia, Irina and Ravel. This is due to him wanting to protect and help them despite almost dying at the hands of his opponents. He is oblivious to the girls around him being in love with him. Early on in the series, Rias explains the reason why she cannot have any more Pawns other than him is because she had to use all 8 pawns to bring him back to life; however, the real reason is because of his Sacred Gear.

In the light novels, it is revealed that Issei's Sacred Gear has more capabilities then what has been shown before. The Boosted Gear is actually a forbidden Gear which starts of as a gauntlet at its first stage. While training and mastering its powers, the Sacred Gear will begin to spread throughout the body as armor. Once fully mastered, it is said to be able to kill a Satan or a God. This is because the armor doubles the user's power every 10 seconds without limit, the only restriction being the user's own ability to handle the power. Hence why Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils fear this power.

In Volume 4 prior to the meeting of the three factions, he receives St. George's Dragon-slayer sword, Ascalon, from Michael. Due to his training in the Underworld with former Dragon King Taninim, he obtained a great stamina that he can use when he gained his Balance Breaker, which he does during his fight with Kuroka where he gained full-access to his Balance Breaker.

Issei's Sacred Gear, "Boosted Gear" (赤龍帝の籠手（ブーステッド･ギア） Būsuteddo Gia^?, lit. "Crimson Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet"), is one of the Thirteen Longinus, where one of the Heavenly Dragons, Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor, resides. Issei is nowhere close to mastering the Gauntlet, and as a result when he enters Juggernaut Mode, 99 percent of his lifespan is sacrificed, though he and Koneko managed to get it back. Later on, Ajuka Beezlebub, one of the Four Satans and the original creator of the Evil Piece system, remodels Issei's Piece so that he can use Promotion anywhere and at any time, regardless if he has used Promotion already. By using Promotion, he is able to use Knight, Rook, and Bishop ranks, and can achieve Illegal Move Trianna (赤龍帝の三叉成駒（イリーガル・ムーブ・トリアイナ） Irīgaru Mūbu Toriaina^?), which makes Issei's Balance Breaker Armor change to other forms using Promotion. In Knight Form, called Welsh Sonic Boost Knight (龍星の騎士（ウェルシュ・ソニックブースト・ナイト） Werushu Sonikku Būsuto Naito^?), he possesses enormous speed that far surpasses Sairaorg's speed, but makes his armor thin where it has low defense; in Rook Form, called Welsh Dragonic Rook (龍剛の戦車（ウェルシュ・ドラゴニック・ルーク） Werushu Doragonikku Rūku^?), he possesses massive power and defence but has a low speed because of its massive armor; in Bishop Form, called Welsh Blaster Bishop (龍牙の僧侶（ウェルシュ・ブラスター・ビショップ） Werushu Burasutā Bishoppu^?), he possess an enormous amount of magical energy in where he applies it in the two cannons at the back of his armor, but it takes time to charge. He later gains access to Queen Mode (known as Cardinal Crimson Promotion (真紅の赫龍帝（カーディナル・クリムゾン・プロモーション） Kādinaru Kurimuzon Puromōshon^?)) in Volume 10 of the light novels, which is equally as powerful as Juggernaut mode. Juggernaut Mode is the full-bodied armor of the Boosted Gear, the Scale Mail, which gives him the Balance Break ability.

At the end of Volume 10 of the light novels, Issei cannot hold back his feelings for Rias and confesses to her, calling her by her first name for the first time. She accepts his feelings in tears of joy and the two officially become a couple, although it seems none of the girls have given up (Akeno, Zenovia, Asia, Koneko, Irina, Reyville) on Issei. In Volume 11, Issei is promoted from low-ranked Devil to high-ranked Devil and Rias' mother suggest that Issei and Rias get married.

Rias Gremory


Voiced by: Yōko Hikasa

Rias Gremory (リアス・グレモリー Riasu Guremorī^?) is the female protagonist of the series. She is a third-year student at Kuoh Academy and is the Academy's number one idol. Nicknamed the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess (紅髪の滅殺姫（べにがみのルイン・プリンセス） Benigami no Ruin Purinsesu^?), she is the heir to one of the highest ranking and famous Devil families, the Gremory Family (グレモリー眷属^?). She is enrolled in Kuoh as an exchange student, but the truth is that she holds the power in the Academy, and acts as the President of the Occult Research Club, which is made up of the Devils under her command. Her rank is "King". She's an invincible heroine who saw the power sleeping within Issei, and took a curious interest in him.

In the light novels, it is revealed that her brother is, in fact, one of the Four Satans, Lucifer, and both of them possess the Power of Destruction. She revives Issei as her servant after the latter was killed by the Fallen Angel Reynalle. Both kind and soft to her servants, but becomes a completely different person when training or fighting. She is proud of her family's name, but she does not like being seen as Rias from Gremory. The reason for her living in human world is because there, everyone sees her as Rias, not as a Devil or as the Crimson Ruin Princess.

As the series progresses, Rias begins to develop strong feelings for Issei which becomes more obvious are Issei defeats Raiser, and becomes very jealous when he is surrounded by other girls. She moves into his house. At the end of Volume 10 of the light novels, Issei confesses and even calls her Rias for the first time instead of Buchou (President). She has tears of joy and tells him that she feels the same way and the two officially become a couple. Though it seems none of the other girls have given up (Akeno, Zenovia, Asia, Koneko, Irina, Reyville) on Issei.

Akeno Himejima


Voiced by: Shizuka Itō

Akeno Himejima (姫島 朱乃 Himejima Akeno^?) is the Second-in-Command of the Gremory Family, known as the "Priestess of Thunder" (雷光の巫女^?). She is the Vice-President of the Occult Research Club, and her rank is "Queen". She is a beautiful girl who ranks second in popularity after Rias. Although she is very gentle person, often saying "Oh my" or "Ufufu", there are a lot of mysteries surrounding her, and Issei instinctively fears her during his first battles, as she gains a highly sadistic personality.

She is the strongest member of the club after Rias and, as Queen, has all traits of Pawn, Knight, Bishop, and Rook. Akeno excels at using attacks made from magical powers and can use natural elements like lighting, ice, fire, and such. In Volume 7 of light novels after her true identity is revealed, she starts to use her Holy Lighting powers.

In the light novel, it is revealed that she was born from a human mother and a Fallen Angel father. As a child, Akeno was close to her mother, Aka Himejima, and was in despair when her mother died, blaming her father, Barakiel, who was one of the leaders of the Fallen Angels, for not being able to protect her mother. After the death of her mother, she became Rias' servant. She is a friend close enough to call Rias by her name in private, yet calls her President in presence of others and displays a master-servant relationship in public. She persistently refuses to use her light powers (inherited from her father), but starts using it after being convinced by Issei. In Volume 7 of the light novels, Akeno admitted that she loves her father but blames him because if she will not blame someone, she will mentally lose herself.

At first, Akeno first thinks of Issei as a cute kōhai and enjoys teasing him. During the events that led to the revelation of Akeno's identity, she falls in love with Issei after the latter says that he hates Fallen Angel but he likes Akeno. He tells her that he never disliked the gentle side of her and knowing her past does not change his feelings. Akeno has a tendency to seduce him which angers all the girls that like him. Akeno once told Issei that she does not mind being third behind Rias and Asia. She moves into the Hyodo residence in Volume 10.

Asia Argento


Voiced by: Azumi Asakura

Sister Asia Argento (アーシア・アルジェント Āshia Arujento^?) is a nun whom Issei met while in town. She is a girl with a gentle heart who possesses a divine Sacred Gear, "Twilight Healing" (聖母の微笑(トワイライト・ヒーリング) Torairaito Hīringu^?), in her body that is capable of healing the wounds of humans, Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils alike.

Early in the series, she was once under Fallen Angels' (led by Raynare) control, but after a certain turn of events, she became a Devil under Rias control and transfers to Issei's class. Her rank among Rias's underlings is "Bishop". When Issei saved her from the Fallen Angels, she fell in love with him, and eventually with interventions from their leader Rias, moved in with him to live together at the Hyodo household. While the perverted side of Issei wants to do naughty things to her, his actual feelings towards Asia is a bit complicated, as he also sees himself as the protective guardian of the simple-minded, pure-hearted girl that Asia is, which in turn deters him from doing all the aforementioned things to her that he fantasizes about. Asia has a baby Sprite Dragon as her pet and familiar whom she named Rassei ( ラッセー Rassē^?), after Issei's name.

Despite being revived as a Devil, Asia stills believes in God and tries to read the Bible, which would result in her getting severe headaches.

Koneko Tojo


Voiced by: Ayana Taketatsu

Koneko Tojo (塔城 小猫 Tōjō Koneko^?) is a first-year student Kuoh Academy who serves as the school's unofficial mascot because of her cute loli appearance. Being the "Rook" of Rias' group, she boasts extreme physical strength and endurance. The quiet and cool-headed member of the club, she rarely shows any emotion at all, and often says harsh things and hits Issei whenever he is doing or thinking something perverted. She is almost always seen eating something (most commonly youkan) when not in action. She is a nekomata, a two-tailed cat demon.

In the light novels, it is revealed that she was about to be executed by the devils after her sister, Kuroka, killed her own master. Lucifer, one of the Four Satans protected her, and left her under his sister, Rias', care - becoming her servant. She refused to use the power of senjutsu because she did not want to become like her sister. She later overcame this fear along with Akeno after Issei made her overcome her own powers. She shows the most concern for her comrades when they are in trouble. Later on, she experiences a change in her personality, and now only shows emotions of love towards Issei. She moves into the Hyodo residence in Volume 10.

Yuto Kiba

Voiced by: Kenji Nojima
Yuto Kiba (木場 祐斗 Kiba Yūto^?) is a gentle swordsman and the school's prince whose rank in the Occult Research Club is "Knight", possessing the ability to move at incredibly high speeds. Although he calls himself Issei's friend, he is almost the complete opposite of the latter, sporting good looks, intelligence, and a pretty nice personality. However due to the events in his past, he bears an immense hatred towards the Holy Swords, as well as about everything and everyone associated with them. Much to Issei's dismay, the pairing of him and Yuto has become a hot topic between the girls in the academy.
In the light novels, it is revealed that he was a victim of the Holy Sword Project, where he was the only sole survivor. He became Rias' servant when she saved him from death, and swore to extract his revenge on those who treated him as a test subject and disposed of his friends. As a result, he also harbors a great hatred towards the Holy Sword Excalibur. However thanks to Issei, he can truly let go of his rage. He treats Issei as his best friend, despite the fact that Issei doesn't.
Yuto's Sacred Gear, "Sword Birth" (魔剣創造（ソード・バース） Sōdo Bāsu^?),has the ability to create Demonic Swords like the Holy Eraser (a sword that feeds on Holy Energy) or Flame Delete (an ice blade that negates fire attacks). He later gains his Balance Breaker, called "Sword of Betrayer" (双覇の聖魔剣（ソード・オブ・ビトレイヤー） Sōdo obu Bitoreiyā^?), which is a fusion between Demonic Sword and a Holy Sword, during the fight with Freed after he "merged" his Sacred Gear with the spirits of his fallen comrades who were the victims of the Holy Sword Project.