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Akiha Tohno
Tsukihime (2000)

Akiha Tohno (遠野 秋葉, Tōno Akiha?) is the younger sister of Shiki and the head of the prestigious Tohno family and a student of the elite Asagami Private Girls Academy.

Profile[]

Background[]

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Young Akiha

Born into the prestigious Tohno family, Akiha lived a sheltered childhood under the strict supervision of her father Makihisa Tohno and was seldom allowed to go outside the mansion to play. She was also subconsciously afraid of her brother SHIKI, because of his strange and different behaviour. When Shiki Nanaya was adopted into the family, she initially disliked him because he had the same name as her brother. One day while she quietly waited for her tutor to arrive, Shiki took her hand, inviting her to play with him and SHIKI and Hisui, the other children at the mansion. Thanks to Shiki she was able to experience at least some semblance of the joys of childhood. Unfortunately, not soon afterward Shiki was near fatally wounded in an accident and was sent by Makihisa to live with the Arimas, relatives from another branch of the family. Akiha tried to visit Shiki at the Arima house several times early on, but pressure from her father and other relatives, in addition to Shiki's constant visits to the hospital, prevented their meeting. Contact was made all but impossible when Akiha was placed in a boarding school and she was forced to live on the campus. Akiha also states that she sent Shiki many letters, but because he was ordered by Makihisa to never speak to Akiha again, he never replied.[3][4]

Sometime later, Akiha and Hisui learned that Makihisa raped Kohaku daily in order to maintain his demon blood. Akiha freed Kohaku from Makihisa, and allowed her to live as a normal maid. Upon the death of Makihisa, Akiha became the head of the Tohno household and, ignoring protests from the remaining relatives, called Shiki back to live at the family mansion with her.

Appearance[]

Akiha has long black hair (that turns red in her Crimson Red Vermillion form) decorated with a white hairband. During school, she wears the standard Asagami uniform, even when she later transfers to Shiki's school. Her casual clothes consist of a white shirt with a red ribbon on the necktie and a long red skirt with knee-high brown lace-up boots underneath (which oddly are replaced with socks and slip-on formal shoes in her Melty Blood sprites).

Personality[]

Akiha is very protective of her brother. She is always intent on knowing what he does with his day, and is extremely suspicious of what he does at night. She gets incredibly jealous when he is around other girls. The constant supervision by his little sister sometimes bears hard on Shiki, but she only watches over him because she worries so much about him. Although she expects Shiki to adapt to the Tohno way of life, she is willing to make compromises if it will make him more comfortable, even offering to order him a television despite her dislike of such things. She also plays the violin in her spare time.

Her father remarked in his journal that Akiha's Tohno blood was of the weaker sort and she could live as a normal human if she wished it. But that changed when Shiki's life was threatened in the "accident" from eight years earlier. She was outside playing with Shiki, her adopted brother, and her real brother, also named SHIKI. But the Tohno blood was much stronger in her real brother and he inverted to his non-human form. In this uncontrollable state, he lost control of himself and attempted to attack Akiha. Shiki jumped in the way to protect her and took the full force of the attack. Shiki died protecting Akiha, but Akiha used powers granted to her by her non-human blood to give him half of her life, allowing him to survive.

After the incident, her true brother SHIKI was locked away so that he could never again hurt someone and Akiha severed all ties with him and has since said that Shiki, her adopted brother, is the only person she will ever call her brother. Due to this accident, she needs twice the amount of heat of an average person because she is supporting both her own life and Shiki's. To make up for her increased demand, she must absorb heat from others. She can take this heat in through various means, even by simply absorbing their body heat through contact, but the most efficient method is by drinking fresh blood (as seen when she sucks Kohaku's blood in a scene from the game). Because of the strain on her body, this causes, she often experiences attacks of intense pain that can last from a few minutes to several hours. But Akiha bears them bravely, knowing that it is all for the sake of her beloved brother.

Akiha is also a rather judgmental person, having a tendency to hate people very quickly before she's ever really gotten a chance to know them; she instantly takes a disliking to both Arcueid and Ciel, Ciel due to being a member of an organization who opposes non-humans like herself and Arcueid because of how whimsical she is and how close she is to Shiki. Furthermore, if Akiha doesn't like someone, she will not hesitate to make it known, much to Shiki's exasperation. She is also very self-conscious about her flat chest and it later causes lots of running gags in later sequels like Kagetsu Tohya.

Though she tries to conceal it, Akiha called her brother back because she truly loves him and wanted to be near him no matter how much it might alienate her from the rest of the family. She is incredibly shy about her feelings, even acting in complete contradiction to them on occasion. In spite of this, to her, Shiki is the most important person in the world.

Role[]

Tsukihime[]

Arcueid's route[]

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Akiha in the Tsukihime anime

« It has been a long time, Nii-san. »

(Akiha greeting Shiki for the first time in years - Akiha's route, Day 1)

Because the events of Arcueid (and Ciel) keep Shiki away from the Tohno mansion, Akiha has a secondary role and she remains as Shiki's stoic yet caring sister, who wants to keep the awful truths about their past from Shiki. She scolds him over everything, from his manners to coming back home at late hours. However, Kohaku (who is very close to Akiha) reveals to Shiki that despite her stoic demeanor, Akiha is pleased by Shiki's return. Nearly the end of the route, she reveals to Shiki that he was adopted.

Ciel's route[]

Similar to Arcueid's route, she plays a supportive route and does not seem to like Ciel.

Akiha's route[]

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Akiha wandering through the house

« If I didn't tell you... if we stayed brother and sister... we could stay together. Since I'm not human, since I'm too different from you, we can't stay together......!? »

(Akiha, after telling Shiki the truth about his past - Akiha's route, Day 11)

Shiki returns to the Tohno house after years. He fondly remembers the times he spent with his sister Akiha. He also feels guilty because of the strict upbringing she received after he had to left the Tohno house. Unfortunately for Shiki, his reunion with Akiha is not exactly as he had hoped it to be. She is cold and distant to him, immediately demanding that he adopt a lifestyle befitting of the eldest son of the Tohno family. Akiha scolds Shiki over everything, which causes him to believe that she might bear a significant grudge over his absence the last eight years.[5] When Shiki goes to school, he realizes that his classmate Satsuki is gone.[6] Later it is revealed that she was turned into a vampire by SHIKI.

When Shiki, who had just crossed ways with Satsuki, returns home he is scolded by Akiha but she later treats his wounds. The next day, Shiki decides to confront the vampire Satsuki after he promises to Akiha that he would come back home safe. Satsuki tries to turn him into a vampire to be with her forever, and it that moment Shiki realizes his feelings for Akiha and their promise. Motivated by it, he kills Satsuki, although regretfully. When he returns home, he notices that Akiha was waiting for him the whole time and chastises him for returning wounded.[7]

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Akiha at night with Shiki

Akiha decides to spend more time with Shiki by joining into the same school at him.[8] Like Arcueid, she does not like Ciel.[9][10][11] It is revealed through the route that Akiha often struggles to maintain control over her Tohno blood and resisting her Inversion Impulse, which she has difficulty with due to her also maintaining Shiki's life, to the point she also had to drink Kohaku’s blood.[12][13] When Ciel vanishes, Akiha reveals to Shiki that she always knew that Ciel was different and she was unaffected by her hypnosis. Due to the recent killings in the city recently, Shiki believes that Akiha might be the vampire who did it and goes to the Tohno house. When he arrives, he sees Akiha unconscious and that SHIKI Tohno is there. He tells him that he went to take Akiha "back with him" and reveals to Shiki all the truths of their childhood. However, Akiha regains consciousness and protects Shiki. The two have a confrontation about Shiki, only for Akiha to say in his face that Shiki is her brother now and that she does not consider SHIKI as her brother anymore. SHIKI is angered of this revelation and aims to kill him, but Akiha protects Shiki and takes the attack. This causes Shiki to have a homicidal impulse and cut SHIKI’s lines.[2]

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Shiki and Akiha

After that, Akiha and Shiki talk in her room, where she tells him that in fact, Shiki was adopted after SHIKI killed him and due to it, their minds are connected and he took a part of his life (she also tells him that she believes that one of the causes of their connection might be related to the fact Shiki and SHIKI used to be best friends when younger). Then, she starts having spasms and her hair turns red. Akiha confesses to Shiki that she was aware from the beginning that he is not her real brother, but she felt that it was the only way for her to be with him. However, Shiki reassures her that he loves her as a sister and a woman and they kiss and have sex together. After this, SHIKI is filled with jealousy and reveals to Shiki that Akiha has been maintaining his life since he died eight years ago. Akiha is later kidnapped by SHIKI.[14]

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Akiha as a mindless monster

Later, when Shiki comes to the abandoned room in order to confront SHIKI and save Akiha, he discovers that SHIKI turned her into a mindless, blood-sucking creature. Both fight and Shiki manages to debilitate him. However, at the last moment, Shiki hesitates to kill him so SHIKI uses the last of his energy to return to the abandoned house and see Akiha. Surprisingly, Akiha, now a mindless monster, kills SHIKI by ripping his heart off and runs away. He is left with the choice to kill her and save her from her suffering or to let her live in her current state.[15]

In Akiha's Normal Ending, Shiki decides to allow her to live on as the demon that she currently is (because Shiki cannot bring himself to kill her). This results in Akiha's Normal Ending, where Shiki maintains Akiha at the abandoned room and tries to contain her bloodlust by himself, by routinely letting her painfully bite him and suck his blood out of the wound, all the while hoping that someday she will find herself again.[16]

If Shiki decides to kill her to end her suffering (which she requested for him to do if she ever became like this) it gives no special ending and is considered a bad end.

Akiha ending 1

Akiha's True Ending

In Akiha's True Ending, he decides to kill himself instead (so that she will regain the life energy she gave Shiki when he died eight years ago, and then will be restored to her full strength so she can more easily resist her Tohno blood impulses and restore her mind). With this, Akiha's True Ending is obtained, in which Akiha regains her sanity and when she wakes up, she realizes what Shiki did. Akiha is able to live a normal life and returns to her old school. One day, she goes to the place where he died and sees Shiki's Nanatsu Yoru knife. Despite the fact that Shiki should be dead, Akiha touches the knife and senses deep inside her that there still seems to be a faint heartbeat that is not her own. She recognizes this as a sign that Shiki is still somehow alive somewhere, and that as long as she feels it, she has hope, and declares that she will faithfully await his return.[17]

In "A Story for the Evening", a 'sequel' scenario to Akiha's True Ending from Kagetsu Tohya, at the end of the scenario Akiha receives a letter from Ciel that reveals that Shiki did in fact survive, and that he had been under her care that whole time until he was fully recovered. Shiki's treatment being completed, he waits for Akiha in the mansion for her return from the boarding school.[18]

Hisui's route[]

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Akiha is killed by SHIKI in Hisui's True Ending

« I'm sorry. I...I've deceived you all this time. I've kept secrets about many, so many things. »

(Akiha in her last moments, after being fatally wounded by SHIKI - Hisui's route, Day 12)

It is revealed that she always knew that Kohaku was planning her revenge on the Tohno family, but felt that since her family has wronged Kohaku to an incredible degree she ought to be at least given a chance.

In Hisui's True Ending, she dies while protecting Kohaku with her body from SHIKI. Despite Kohaku expected for Akiha to sacrifice herself and was rather willing to let it happen just for the sake of her revenge, her death causes a great impact on Kohaku, as she was her close friend.[19] Before committing suicide, Kohaku realizes she keeps bringing tea to Akiha's room, even after she has died.[20]

In Hisui's Good Ending, she is only injured in her arm by SHIKI and she is later treated and survives.[19][21]

Kohaku's route[]

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Akiha, after Shiki confronts her about his past

« ...Don't get me wrong, Nii-san. I do not call you Nii-san for the sake of society. Do you not remember? Even before you were killed by SHIKI, I called you Nii-san. It had nothing to do with you being adopted. I knew from the very beginning you were not my true brother. And you accepted that too. So...no matter what you think, you are Shiki Tohno. So please stay here in this mansion. »

(Akiha to Shiki - Kohaku's route, Day 7)

Akiha successfully tracks down and kills SHIKI Tohno before Shiki even starts having dreams visions of him, and is happy that she was able to protect Shiki from having to face all the pains from their past.[22] However, due to SHIKI's ability of immortality and the nature of Akiha's powers, SHIKI is able to give Akiha one final curse before he dies. He transfers the burden of his madness caused by the inversion impulse of his Tohno blood over to her when Akiha absorbs his energy to kill him. After this, Akiha begins to slowly succumb to the Tohno blood, despite her originally being quite capable of controlling it. She synchronizes with Kohaku in an attempt to suppress this, but it is not enough, since she now has SHIKI's bloodlust itself. Even though she does not kill them, she begins hunting for victims on the streets at night in SHIKI's place because she cannot control herself.[23]

This madness also affects her mentality, and she soon becomes single-mindedly obsessed with Shiki, to the point where she threatens to take back the life she gave him if he does not declare that he loves her. Shiki admits that he came back to the Tohno Mansion to be with her again, but he also came back to fulfill a promise he made to Kohaku, who is the one he truly is in love with (at least in this route). He only loves her as a sister, and Akiha has deteriorated to the point where she decides if she cannot have him, she will not let anyone else have him.[24]

In Kohaku's True Ending, Shiki synchronizes with Kohaku to gain strength, and engages Akiha in a climactic battle. But just as he is about to kill her, he finds himself unable to, since no matter what, she is still his sister (if he kills her, it is considered a Bad Ending and Kohaku also dies). Shiki's display of love for Akiha, combined with Kohaku saying she forgives the Tohno family, is able to move her enough that she regains control over herself.[24] She recovers and is able to live a normal life, albeit still having to deal with the desire to drink blood, which she quenches by drinking blood packs ordinarily used for transfusions.[25]

Manga[]

In the manga version of Tsukihime (which follows the Arcueid's route), she has the same protective role towards Shiki. Ciel tests whether Akiha has it in her to be a murderer by threatening her and her brother and then fighting her to the death.[26][27] What Akiha doesn't know is that Ciel cannot be (permanently) killed/injured, so Ciel is free to test Akiha's power with impunity and make Akiha stab her in the face. Akiha's horror showed that she was not the killer.[28]

The childhood memories are more emphasized in the manga, showing that SHIKI was the one who suggested Shiki to invite Akiha to play and that she was jealous of how close the two Shikis were. However, there is one slight difference in the way Shiki remembers his past: after he recalls how there was another boy in his childhood and how he had killed him, SHIKI appears and attacks him. Shiki is saved by Akiha and Kohaku and the two siblings have a confrontation about Shiki.[29] After Akiha tells him that she does not acknowledge him as her brother anymore and that Shiki is her brother now, an enraged SHIKI tries to attack her but she is protected by Ciel,[29] who explains that SHIKI is a vampire, but Akiha is unable to understand.[30]

Near the end, after Roa takes full control of SHIKI's body and Shiki is gravely injured, Akiha uses her life once again to heal him up.[31] She then explains the truth about his adoption and his connection to SHIKI before Shiki leaves to save Arcueid and defeat Roa.[31][32]

Kagetsu Tohya[]

She remains as a supportive character, but she is the protagonist of the side story A Story for the Evening, which is the continuation of Akiha's True Ending in Tsukihime. Tsukasa Shijyou, a classmate of Akiha, placed a curse on her due to an urban legend, but is afraid she will find out, and attempts to kill Akiha by knocking her off two stories from the roof. Akiha survives due to her super-human abilities and Tsukasa comes in the night to kill her with a knife, but Akiha yet again survives and knocks out Tsukasa. After resolving the mystery, Akiha receives a letter from Ciel, that informs that she saved Shiki from death and that he would return by the end of the year.[18]

Melty Blood[]

Akiha has two versions of herself in Melty Blood and in the storyline of the game. The first is her normal state, where she decides by herself solve the mysterious problems caused by TATARI to protect her brother Shiki. She also ends up meeting Sion Eltnam Atlasia, forming a friendship of respect. Their relationship is a lot better than that of Akiha and Arcueid or Ciel, because she believes that Sion wants nothing more with Shiki than just his friendship to help solve the case of the return of the vampire serial killer a year ago.[33][34][35][36][37][38]

The second state is called Vermillion Akiha.

In the sequels of Melty Blood, Akiha always appears in these two forms as separate characters to solve the cases that would be caused by TATARIs caused by White Len in Melty Blood Re-ACT and Dust of Osiris in Melty Blood Actress Again. In Melty Blood Act Cadenza, Akiha in her Crimson Red Vermilion form, influenced by Kohaku, decides to solve the strange disorder of Misaki Town and enjoys eliminating the competition for the affection of her brother Shiki.

In Melty Blood Actress Again, in her form of Crimson Red Vermilion, she ends up discovering the personal enemies of the Tohno family and of Shiki, Kouma Kishima and Michael Roa Valdamjong (acting as SHIKI Tohno in part of the conversation in her storymode) in his way, with they brought for TATARI of Dust of Osiris. She defeats the two to protect her brother from suffering to face them again.

Carnival Phantasm[]

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Akiha in Carnival Phantasm

« Geez! I know we're here to play, but you're still the eldest son of the Tohno family! »

(Akiha at the beach with Shiki and the girls - Carnival Phantasm, Episode 2)

Akiha has a number of roles in Carnival Phantasm as one of the heroines of Tsukihime. Her tsundere personality is comically exaggerated and she is very conscious about her flat chest, becoming very violent if someone points it out. If she is angered, she becomes Vermillion Akiha, with Shiki as her usual target. In the Phantasmoon segment, she appears as the main villain, an evil youkai.

Other Appearances[]

In Back Alley Satsuki, she is a gold heroine of boar to protect the twelfth temple and she is known as Interviewer Akiha (面接官秋葉, Mensetsu-kan Akiha?).

She also appears as a Master in Koha-Ace.

Abilities[]

Makihisa Tohno states that Akiha was born with less Tohno blood than her brother SHIKI. While in terms of potential, Akiha possesses an older Origin, SHIKI's blood ran much stronger.[19]

Eight years before the start of Tsukihime, SHIKI Tohno inverted and attacked Shiki Nanaya, stealing his Life Force to regenerate himself in the process.[19] To keep the Nanaya child alive, Akiha gave him half of her own Life Force,[14] after which her dormant Tohno blood was awakened.[3] Under normal circumstances, Akiha would have been able to suppress it if she only had to worry about herself, however, she was carrying the burden of two people.[3] Due to this, out of all the energy she has, she only uses half for herself. Shiki equates this to trying to move with just half your body.[14] At Kohaku's suggestion, Akiha began using her blood as a source of heat.[2][14] Kohaku couldn't Synchronize with Akiha since they weren't of the opposite gender, that's why she had to drink her blood to form a fake bond.[23] Of course, it was all just a scheme to push Akiha closer to her Tohno nature.[3]

Combat[]

Shiki Tohno states that Akiha is the strongest person in the Tohno mansion.[35] Normally, Akiha unconsciously suppresses her strength, unlike Vermillion Akiha.[36]

Although Shiki Tohno is weak against Akiha,[38] he defeats her in the G. route of Melty Blood.[33] In another route, Shiki loses on purpose. If Shiki was truly serious, Akiha would probably escalate things as well. Despite being under the control of Sion Eltnam Atlasia's Etherlite, Shiki was able to resist it enough to lose. Although Shiki was holding back, Akiha still hit him really hard, so after the fight concluded he couldn't keep attacking.[33] Shiki also says that normal Akiha is probably stronger than G-Akiha.[38]

In the "Hologram Summer" and "Other tale" routes, Ciel is able to fight not only Akiha, but Sion Eltnam Atlasia and Shiki Tohno simultaneously. Eventually, Ciel withdraws, saying that both sides will be defeated if the battle continues, to which Sion agrees. Shiki later notes that Ciel wasn't fighting seriously and that even though it was three against one, it was still uneven.[34] In another route where Ciel doesn't hold back,[36] she wins.[34] Akiha, who still had power left, keeps fighting Ciel while the others retreat. However, she states that even she knows not to face Ciel directly.[34] After a while, Shiki notes that Akiha must be doing a good job at stopping her, because Ciel didn't follow them. Shiki doesn't worry about Ciel fighting Akiha as not only is Akiha skilled with her abilities, but Ciel will not truly fight her since she isn't a Vampire that attacks Humans. He says that they will both hold themselves back and it will be over shortly.[36] In the G. route, Ciel is brainwashed by Hisui and defeated by Akiha and Sion working together.[37]

Akiha has high regenerative abilities that allow her to heal in one night a wound that would otherwise take a regular human several weeks to regenerate.[14]

Some of the various kick techniques found in Akiha's list of normal skills include:[39]

  • 5C's Miss "Current Family Head" Kick[39]
  • 6C's Miss "Yakuza" Kick[39]
  • J2C's Miss "Divine Punishment Is Swift" Kick[39]

Caging Hair[]

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Akiha's Crimson Red Vermillion form.

Akiha's main ability is Caging Hair (檻髪, Origami?), a cursed field that Plunders the heat (lifeforce) from those whithin the range of her field of vision. Though the plundering is based on sight, if somebody with spiritual vision were to observe it, they would see it as something similar to red threads twining around and consuming the target in a fiery aura.[40]

At their maximum output, these threads are capable of covering not just the target, but the entire environment the target is in, making escape impossible – thus the name Origami, or "Caging Hair".[40] During the last day of the Kohaku route, the reason Shiki Tohno couldn't escape from the school building was that the school building itself had been totally covered by Akiha's Origami.[40][41] The outlandish spectacle from that time makes its reappearance during Akiha's Last Arc.[41] In Melty Blood, it became both Akiha and Vermillion Akiha's Arc Drive, under the name "Red Lord Origami".[40] For just a moment, she fully unleashes her power and "Plunders" the opponent.[41] Against normal people with no spiritual defenses, this is an absolute method of attack, but against somebody like Arcueid Brunestud whose Spiritual Rank is on a whole other level, it would merely be a hindrance similar to the World being filled with spider webs. However, with the support of a sympath (i.e. Kohaku with her Synchronizer abilities), it might be able to actually tie her down.[40]

While empowered by Kohaku, SHIKI Tohno is no match for Akiha.[19][22] The difference between their abilities is too great. Whereas SHIKI needs to get close to kill, Akiha merely has to look. Akiha's killing ability, no matter how someone may think about it, is many times superior to SHIKI's. The only way to kill Akiha would be a surprise attack.[22] During their fight in Akiha's route, Akiha left SHIKI on the brink of death and gasping for air with a single attack. SHIKI counterattacked by leaping forward in a flash of speed Shiki Tohno can't even follow, but Akiha simply glanced down at him, burning his body.[19] In Kohaku's route, SHIKI is barely able to avoid Akiha's attack, losing everything past his left elbow in the process. Despite losing another leg while trying to escape, SHIKI still believed that he could kill her seven times over in five seconds if he took her by surprise. To his surprise, Akiha was still able to react in time, and killed him with no mercy.[22]

Akiha's ability has two weaknesses. Firstly, her power works proportionally to the clearness of her vision. In the middle of the night, her aura doesn't move as fast as her eyes, as they would otherwise in the day. Secondly, Akiha is not a true flame user, so a surprise attack cannot end up in mutual death if she dies before her attacker. It takes her time to drain her opponent completely, so it would be possible to kill her before she does.[24]

Inversion[]

By killing SHIKI Tohno in Kohaku's route, Akiha assimilated the Evil Spirit inside him.[25] Having absorbed SHIKI's Life Force, the burden from using half her own energy to keep Shiki Tohno alive was lifted. However, SHIKI being gone also meant that he no longer returned his spare energy to Shiki when he was asleep, making it so that Akiha would need even more than before to keep him alive. To get this extra amount of energy, Akiha started walking the streets every night to suck the blood of passersbys.[23] This resulted in Akiha finally Inverting and demonstrating her power to its fullest extent.[3] In this state, she surpasses Shiki's expectations, who states that the Akiha that exterminated SHIKI pales in comparison to her.[24] This dreadful form, with its fluttering vermilion hair, may be equal or surpass Arcueid Brunestud.[3]

When Shiki Tohno first meets Inverted Akiha, his body cries out telling him that he cannot win against her and that if he makes her angry, he'd surely be annihilated. Akiha also initially claims that if she got serious, then it would all be over in an instant. Right before Shiki was enveloped by her fiery aura, his body instinctively sensed the danger and jumped back so fast that he disappeared from Akiha's vision immediately. If he hadn't done that, there was no way he could have escaped. Akiha praises him, as he didn't hide behind anything. He just moved faster than her eyes can track. While Akiha holds the advantage in the hallway since Shiki doesn't have anywhere else to escape, Shiki is still able to cut her hair coming at him. Shiki notes that because they are in the middle of the night, her fiery aura is slower. If it was daytime, her vision and her aura would probably be at the same speed, in which case, he wouldn't be able to kill her aura fast enough. When Akiha gets enraged at Kohaku, Shiki notes that her amount of power is entirely different than the one that was directed against him before.[24]

After Akiha seemingly kills Kohaku, Shiki Tohno finally gets the resolve to fight to the death, and Shiki Nanaya comes to the surface. He gauges that the distance between him and Akiha is 10 meters and that he needs 2 steps to get into knife range. To ensure the kill, 3 steps. Because there weren't any obstacles for Nanaya to take cover, even if he took 2 steps Akiha could easily fix her eyes on him in one motion. He'd die faster since she would be slightly faster.[24] In the Bad End where Nanaya doesn't retreat he closes the distance between them. Because Nanaya's body only gets clearer as he moves closer, he loses an arm and a leg in the process. He is able to avoid a fatal wound by crawling up the ceiling like a spider. Before Akiha is able to finish him off, Shiki cuts her neck, killing her.[24] In the True End, Shiki retreats and decides to ambush her. While he succeeds, he stops himself at the last moment due to being unable to kill his loved sister.[24]

The reason that Akiha attained some Vampire-ish abilities after disposing of her rampaging older brother might have been because she also ended up plundering his Fusion ability. [42]

Controlled Tohno Blood[]

In Tsukihime, when Akiha's hair turned deep crimson, she was on the verge of becoming Crimson Red Vermillion due to having absorbed the Evil Spirit inside SHIKI.[25][43] That term is used when those with inhuman heritage have drawn out their sleeping blood to the maximum possible extent. Once they reach this state, they are wreathed in a mirage-like haze and can never return to being Human. The name Crimson Red Vermillion is unique to the families ruled over by the Tohno household. Elsewhere, it is known as Ancestral Return.[43] As one with particularly tainted blood, the possibility that Akiha would become a Crimson Red Vermillion was high.[43] However, after her fight with Shiki, she managed to bring her Human and Oni Mixed-Blood under control with sheer willpower alone.[25][43][44] Of course, rather than returning to how she was before, it is more accurate to say she switched to her "human" self while remaining close to the state Crimson Red Vermillion.[43] The Evil Spirit weakened since it transferred to Akiha, and its only remaining influence was making Akiha strong-willed. Not only did it make her a bit more honest, but it also increased her power. Thanks to that, Akiha can exert better control over her Tohno blood, allowing her to hide the color of her hair.[25]

Forms and Alternate Versions[]

Vermillion Akiha[]

Vermillion Akiha (紅赤朱秋葉, Kurenai Sekishu Akiha?) is what becomes of Akiha when she has given into her Mixed-Blood of Tohno family.

She appears in this form in Melty Blood as a heroine in some of the routes of the game (especially in relation to the Tohno family routes) and another as a manifestation of TATARI materialized by Night of Wallachia, through the rumors made by people about a mysterious Japanese vampire with long long hair, wandering and attacking people at night and combined the fears that Shiki Tohno always have of his sister when she is in this state. Shiki defeated Wallachia at the end of these routes when he was using that form of Akiha.

Personality[]

This version of her is a little more dark and sinister, lacking most of the refined air of normal Akiha, and in its place is a subtle, yet malevolent violent streak in her personality and actions.

Abilities[]

In this state, Akiha is close to becoming a Crimson Red Vermilion. Through sheer willpower alone, she is able to control her rampage and avoid fully becoming one. Or rather, for Akiha this form is actually what she looks like when she's conserving her strength, and her normal form is the result of her actively using her power to suppress her Oni blood. It's quite similar to the situation with Arcueid Brunestud and her Vampiric Impulses. Properly speaking, becoming a Crimson Red Vermillion means completely losing your ability to reason, but it seems even in this state Akiha still has some sanity left. This, too, is probably by virtue of her high aptitude for it.[44]

Normally, Akiha unconsciously suppresses her strength,[36] however, Shiki claims that once she gets serious, no one can beat her.[33] When she fights someone she doesn't know, she doesn't hold back. Due to this, Shiki states that Sion Eltnam Atlasia probably couldn't beat her. Taking this information into account, Sion states that Akiha is an opponent she cannot face without preparation.[33] Even Ciel would get killed if she faced a serious Akiha.[36]

Since Kohaku and Hisui cannot defeat Akiha and Shiki Tohno working together, Kohaku summons Mech-Hisui, her ultimate weapon, to fight them instead. Kohaku orders Mech-Hisui to fight serious Akiha, Shiki, and Sion Eltnam Atlasia simultaneously inflicting an amount of pain that won't be fatal. While she is defeated, Shiki states that it was a very taxing battle, both physically and mentally.[37]

G-Akiha[]

G-Akiha is an alternate form of Akiha that has been modified by Kohaku's Makikyuu X. This strengthening drug was Kohaku's final backup plan in Melty Blood to defeat Shiki Tohno. It is a rare item made from a mixture of wormwood, brandy, scallops, shrimp, and various leftover chemical substances from the last 5 years and divided in half. It is used to enlarge living things, making Akiha 10 times bigger than normal. While Kohaku states that its effects are somewhat permanent, Akiha reverts to normal after being defeated.[38]

Appearance[]

Akiha is 10 times bigger than normal. Kohaku states that there is no complaint about her bust size because of it.[38]

Abilities[]

In this state, G-Akiha is a giant with everything given a 10x power up. However, she ends up being defeated by Shiki Tohno. He states that she was in a bad position to begin with, and that she is probably stronger in her normal state.[38]

Development[]

Creation & conception[]

Akiha was inspired by the oni Momiji from the play MomijigariWP.[3] Many years later Momiji would be introduced as a character in TYPE-MOON under the name Kijyo Koyo.

Reception[]

Akiha drawn by ryukishi07

In 2005, Takashi Takeuchi and Ryukishi07 of 07th Expansion were asked to draw each other's character. Ryukishi07 drew Akiha while Takeuchi drew Rena Ryuugu.[45]


References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Kagetsu Tohya - Character Personal Data No. 3: Akiha Tohno
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 10/Sweltering Night - 10th day/October 30 (Sat.)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6
    [v] Tsukihime Dokuhon PlusPeriod - TSUKIHIME Dictionary: Tohno Akiha [Person's name], p.185

    Akiha Tohno [Person's name]
    One of the heroines in Tsukihime. Shiki's younger sister, and the Tohno family's heir.
    She has long black hair and a dignified posture, firm speech, and an unendearing personality. On top of that, her love of strict discipline can make her somewhat hard to get along with.
    Perhaps it's because she doesn't think much of the way Shiki lived doing whatever he pleased for eight years, but she lashes out at him every chance she gets. Though she is basically straightforward and honest at her core, she is also unyielding and hates losing, so her true personality rarely gets a chance to shine.
    She was one of the people involved in the accident eight years ago, after which her dormant Tohno blood was awakened. Though she would have been able to suppress it if she only had to worry about herself, she was carrying the burden of two people. As a result, she started being attacked by seizures nearly every night, and at Kohaku's suggestion began drinking blood to maintain her body.
    …Of course, it was all just a scheme to push Akiha closer to her Tohno nature. Probably, even Akiha herself was aware of it on some level.
    In one of the routes, she ended up inverting and demonstrating her power to its fullest extent. That dreadful form, with its fluttering vermilion hair, she may be equal to or surpass Arcueid.
    Long ago, in the Tohno's country, there lived a female oni named Momiji. Though she is not their ancestor, maybe you could consider her the origin of Akiha?
    Incidentally, Akiha is the character with the greatest number of individual sprites. It actually made the art director break down in tears. Not only were there uniform sprites and casual sprites, but sprites for Akiha when she was inverted as well.
    Also, by some strange twist of fate, her roommate at school actually had the last name "Tsukihime".
    She was the only heroine in Tsukihime that didn't get a happy ending, which apparently made a lot of fans mad. We got a ton of hate mail demanding that we do something about it, hahaha. I guess it worked, though, since we ended up writing a sequel to Akiha's ending for Kagetsu Tohya.
    She is the student council vice president at the Asagami Academy for Girls, and seems to be quite popular.
    …Of course, that popularity stems from equal parts reverence and terror.
    In Kagetsu Tohya, the power relationship between her and Kohaku began to change, and in Melty Blood she was the victim of Kohaku's cheerful treachery. Also, though the Akiha in Melty Blood is pretty… energetic, she's normally a little more graceful than that.
    She totally lacks the pride and thin skin characteristic of the super-rich, but her sense for how to use money is still grossly out of sync with normal people's.
    When she told Sion to "rest a bit", in Akiha's head "a bit" meant either until Sion herself was sick of it, or until she was dead. It seems she's the type of person who's cold to strangers, but excessively soft toward those who have earned her favor. Ah, so that's why you let Kohaku toy with you as she pleases, Lady Akiha!

    遠野秋葉【人名】

  4. [v] Melty Blood Act Cadenza PS2 Manual - Dictionary: Tohno Akiha [Person's name], p.051

    Akiha Tohno [Person's name]
    Tohno Shiki's younger sister, and the Tohno family's heir.
    She has long black hair and a dignified posture, firm speech, and an unendearing personality. On top of that, her love of strict discipline can make her somewhat hard to get along with.
    Perhaps it's because she doesn't think much of the way Shiki lived doing whatever he pleased for eight years, but she lashes out at him every chance she gets. Though she is basically straightforward and honest at her core, she is also unyielding and hates losing, so her true personality rarely gets a chance to shine.
    She saved Shiki's life when they were young, and has absolute faith in him even if she'd never admit it.
    She lived in the dorms at the Asagami Academy for Girls after Shiki left for the Arima household, but she started commuting from home when he returned to the Tohno mansion.
    As the Tohno family head she possesses noble blood, and her power as a demon hybrid is among the best of the best. If Arcueid is a Western vampire, then Akiha would be an example of an Eastern vampire.
    The embodiment of "plundering", all who enter her field of vision will have their heat (life force) stolen from them, no questions asked.

    遠野秋葉【人名】
    とおのあきは。遠野志貴の妹で、遠野家の跡取りでもある。
    長い黒髪に凛とした姿勢、気丈な物言い、可愛けのない性格。加えて規律を重んじる、棘のある令嬢といったところ。
    八年間好き勝手暮らしていた志貴をよく思っていないのか、事あるごとにつっかかってくる。根は一途で健気なのだが、素直ではなく負けず嫌いなので、滅多なことでは自分の本性を表に出さない。
    幼い頃に志貴に命を救われており、言葉にはしないものの志貴に絶対の信頼と愛情を置いている。
    志貴が有間の家から帰ってくるまでは浅上女学院の寄宿舎で生活していたが、志貴が屋敷に住むようになってからは屋敷から学園に通うようになる。
    遠野の当主として尊い血をもっており、混血としての力は随一。アルクェイドが西洋の吸血鬼なら、秋葉は東洋の吸血鬼である。
    視界に入ったものなら問答無用で熱(生命力)を奪いとる、“略奪”の体現者。

  5. Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 1/Inversion Impulse I - 1st day/October 21 (Thur.)
  6. Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 2/Inversion Impulse II - 2nd day/October 22 (Fri.)
  7. Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 3/Inversion Impulse III - 3rd day/October 23 (Sat.)
  8. Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 4/Dark Scar I - 4th day/October 24 (Sun.)
  9. Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 5/Quiet Dream - 5th day/October 25 (Mon.)
  10. Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 6/Deep Dream - 6th day/October 26 (Tue.)
  11. Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 7/Deep Scar II - 7th day/October (Wed.)
  12. Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 8/Afternoon Dream - 8th day/October 28 (Thur.)
  13. Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 9/Bloodsucking Demon - 9th day/October 29 (Fri.)
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 11/Telescope - 11th day/October 31 (Sun.)
  15. Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, 12/A Finale - 12th day/November 1 (Mon.)
  16. Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, Distant Reed Warbler - an epilogue
  17. Tsukihime - Far Side: Akiha's Route, Warm Afternoon Nap - an epilogue
  18. 18.0 18.1 Kagetsu Tohya - Ten Nights of Dream, A Story for the Evening
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 Tsukihime - Far Side: Hisui's Route, 13/Golden Cocoon - 13th day/November 2 (Tue.)
  20. Tsukihime - Far Side: Hisui's Route, Midday Moon - an epilogue
  21. Tsukihime - Far Side: Hisui's Route, Dreams of Sunshine - an epilogue
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Tsukihime - Far Side: Kohaku's Route, VI/Future Vision, Future Death
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 Tsukihime - Far Side: Kohaku's Route, 10/Locks of Hair - 10th day/October 30 (Sat.)
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 24.6 24.7 Tsukihime - Far Side: Kohaku's Route, 11/Nanaya - 11th day/October 31 (Sun.)
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 Tsukihime - Far Side: Kohaku's Route, DREAMS OF SUNSHINE - an epilogue
  26. Lunar Legend Tsukihime Chapter 23
  27. Lunar Legend Tsukihime Chapter 24
  28. Lunar Legend Tsukihime Chapter 25
  29. 29.0 29.1 Lunar Legend Tsukihime Chapter 46
  30. Lunar Legend Tsukihime Chapter 49
  31. 31.0 31.1 Lunar Legend Tsukihime Chapter 62
  32. Lunar Legend Tsukihime Chapter 63
  33. 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 Melty Blood - Block C: 2/Alchemist of Atlas - Extra Alchemist
  34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 Melty Blood - Block E: 3/The Battling Ladies - Battle Princess
  35. 35.0 35.1 Melty Blood - Block F: 3/What Is This - dead end love song!
  36. 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 36.4 36.5 Melty Blood - Block I: 4/In Shadow Town - Electrical Mad Parade
  37. 37.0 37.1 37.2 Melty Blood - Block J: 4/Fight On, Our ○○○○ Hisui - M X M X M X M
  38. 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 38.5 Melty Blood - Block O: 5/The Strongest Enemy - G.
  39. 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3
    [v] Melty Blood Act Cadenza PS2 Manual - Dictionary: Akiha's Kicks [Technique name], p.060

    Akiha's Kicks [Technique name]
    There are various kick techniques found in Tohno Akiha's list of normal skills. It is a tomboyishness unbecoming of a young lady from a respectable family.
    For example, 5C's Miss "Current Family Head" Kick, 6C's Miss "Yakuza" Kick, J2C's Miss "Divine Punishment Is Swift" Kick, etc. So far, many different kicks have been demonstrated. Please expect more of them in the future.

    秋葉の足技【技名】
    なにかと足クセが悪い遠野秋葉の通常技。良家の令嬢にはあるまじきおてんばさである。
    通常技·立ち強のお嬢当主キック、→強で出るお嬢極道キック、空中で↓強で出るお嬢天罰覿面キック等々、様々な足技を披露してくれる。今後も彼女の足技には期待したいところ。

  40. 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 40.4
    [v] Tsukihime Dokuhon PlusPeriod - TSUKIHIME Dictionary: Caging Hair [Unusual talent], p.176-177

    Caging Hair [Unusual talent]
    Caging Hair. It's the name of the tenth day of the Kohaku route, but here it's referring to the name of Akiha's ability.
    Akiha is a demon hybrid that "plunders" the heat of any living being that she is able to visually confirm, and Origami is the name for the maximum output state of this ability. Though the plundering is based on sight, if somebody with spiritual vision were to observe it, they would see it as something similar to red threads twining around and consuming the target in a fiery aura. And, at their maximum output, these threads are capable of covering not just the target, but the entire environment the target is in, making escape impossible – thus the name Origami, or "Caging Hair". During the last day of the Kohaku route, the reason Shiki couldn't escape from the school building was because the school building itself had been totally covered by Akiha's Origami.
    Against normal people with no spiritual defenses, this is an absolute method of attack, but against somebody like Arcueid whose spiritual rank is on a whole other level, it would merely be a hindrance similar to the world being filled with spider webs. Though, with backup from a sympath it might be able to actually tie her down.
    In Melty Blood, it became both Akiha and Vermilion Akiha's Arc Drive, under the name "Red Lord Origami".
    Also, this is just a digression, but the martial arts practiced by the Tohno family are divided into "Blazing Rendition" techniques usable by everybody, and "Red Lord" techniques permitted only to the family head.
    These are in turn surpassed by the "Crimson Lord" techniques, which are a taboo even among the taboo.

    檻髪【異能】

  41. 41.0 41.1 41.2
    [v] Melty Blood Act Cadenza - Dictionary: Red Lord Origami [Technique name]

    Red Lord Origami [Technique name]
    Tohno Akiha's Arc Drive.
    For just a moment, she fully unleashes her power and "plunders" the opponent. The reason her hair turns red is because her true nature is shining through.
    At one point in Tsukihime, the schoolhouse was totally covered in red threads, making escape impossible for the prey trapped within. Without a doubt, that was Origami. The outlandish spectacle from that time makes its reappearance during Tohno Akiha's Last Arc.

    赤主·檻髪【技名】
    せきしゅ·おりがみ。遠野秋葉のアークドライブ。
    瞬間的に能力を全開放し“略奪”を行う。秋葉の髪が赤くなるのは本性が現れているため。
    月姫本編では校舎の外側全てを赤い糸で覆い、校舎内の獲物を脱出不可能にした。まさに檻髪。その異様は遠野秋葉のラストアークで再現されている。

  42. [v] Tsukihime Dokuhon PlusPeriod - TSUKIHIME Dictionary: Corrosive Separation [Unusual talent], p.183

    Corrosive Separation [Unusual talent]
    Corrosive Separation. One of Tohno SHIKI's abilities as a demon hybrid. A curse of fusion by contact.
    SHIKI is naturally capable of continuing to use his own body no matter what condition it's in, but his ultimate ability is actually restoring his own flesh by assimilating the flesh of others. In a word, it's the no holds barred version of an organ transplant.
    Though SHIKI became a vampire due to being invaded by Roa's consciousness, this innate ability as a demon hybrid was already pretty vampire-ish. (Of course, in the end it's just making up for lost parts.)
    The reason that Akiha attained some vampire-ish abilities after disposing of her rampaging older brother might have been because she also ended up plundering this power when she killed him.

    蝕離【異能】

  43. 43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3 43.4
    [v] Tsukihime Dokuhon PlusPeriod - TSUKIHIME Dictionary: Crimson Red Vermilion [Term], p.178

    Crimson Red Vermilion [Term]
    The name for when those with inhuman heritage have drawn out their sleeping blood to the maximum possible extent. Once they reach this state, they are wreathed in a mirage-like haze and can never return to being human.
    The name Crimson Red Vermilion is unique to the families ruled over by the Tohno household. Elsewhere, it is known as Ancestral Return.
    As one with particularly tainted blood, the possibility that Akiha will become a Crimson Red Vermilion is high.
    In Tsukihime, when her hair turned deep crimson, she was on the verge of this, though somehow she managed to bring her human and oni blood under control. Of course, rather than returning to how she was before, it's more accurate to say she switched to her "human" self while remaining close to the state Crimson Red Vermilion.

    紅赤朱【用語】

  44. 44.0 44.1
    [v] Melty Blood Act Cadenza PS2 Manual - Dictionary: Vermillion Akiha [Person's name], p.053

    Akiha Vermillion [Person's name]
    Akiha in a state close to Crimson Red Vermilion.
    Through sheer willpower alone, she is able to control her rampage and avoid fully becoming a Crimson Red Vermilion.
    Or rather, for Akiha this form is actually what she looks like when she's conserving her strength, and her normal form is the result of her actively using her power to suppress her oni blood. It's quite similar to the situation with Arcueid and her vampiric impulse.
    Properly speaking, becoming a Crimson Red Vermilion means completely losing your ability to reason, but it seems even in this state Akiha still has some sanity left.
    This, too, is probably by virtue of her high aptitude for it.

    赤主秋葉【人名】
    紅赤朱に近づいた秋葉。
    まだ完全に紅赤朱に成っておらず、意志の力で暴走をコントロールできている。
    というより、秋葉にとってはこの姿の方が体力を使わない。アルクェイド同様、普段の姿は力を使って混血を 抑えつけているのである。
    本来なら紅赤朱化が進んだ時点で理性を失うのだが、秋葉にはまだ余裕があるらしい。これも高い素質のなせる 事だろう。

  45. Ryukishi07 blog post
Tsukihime characters
Main characters
Shiki Tohno (Remake) • Arcueid Brunestud (Remake) • Ciel (Remake) • Akiha Tohno (Remake) • Hisui (Remake) • Kohaku (Remake) • Satsuki Yumizuka (Remake) • LenMichael Roa Valdamjong (Remake)
Secondary characters
Arihiko Inui (Remake) • Aoko AozakiBarthomeloi LoreleiCrimson MoonDr. ArachEnhanceGoto SaikiGransurg Blackmore (Remake) • Karius BerlusconiKouma Kishima (Remake) • Mario Gallo BestinoMerem SolomonMr. DawnMio SaikiNarbareckNanakoNoelNrvnqsr Chaos (Remake) • Shiki NanayaSHIKI Tohno (Remake) • Vlov ArkhangelYuugo Ando
Minor characters
Akemi YamaseAkira SeoBrainwashing-DetectiveCaubac AlcatrazCurry de MarcheEco-ArcForteFake ShikiHanei MisawaIchiko InuiKeiko ArimaKiri NanayaMagical AmberMaiko YamaseMakihisa TohnoMaster PandaMecha-ShikiNeco-Arc (Remake) • Neco-Arc BubblesNeco-Arc DestinyNeco-Arc EvolutionPhantas-MoonSougen JinanSouka TsukihimeTokie JinanTonami KugamineTsukasa Shijyou
Melty Blood characters
Miyako Arima (Remake) • Dust of OsirisMech-HisuiNeco-Arc ChaosNight of WallachiaRed Arcueid (Remake) • Riesbyfe StridbergSaberShiki RyougiSion Eltnam AtlasiaWhite Len
Vampires
Dead Apostles
Ciel (Remake) • Curry de MarcheJester KartureLord Rozay-enMaiko YamaseNoelOdd BorzakSatsuki YumizukaShiki Tohno (Remake) • SHIKI Tohno (Remake) • Sion Eltnam AtlasiaShirleyTarantellaThird Crusade Dead ApostleZepia Eltnam Atlasia
The Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors (Remake)
Primate MurderThe Dark SixBrunestud of the Crimson MoonKischur Zelretch SchweinorgORT (LostbeltXibalba) • Rizo-Waal StroutEinnasheForest of Einnashe (Remake) • Fina-blood SveltenAltrouge BrunestudNrvnqsr Chaos (Remake) • LouvreStanrobe CalhinTATARIDust of OsirisVan-FemRita Rozay-enGransurg Blackmore (Remake) • Trhvmn OrtenrosseEnhanceZaria OffenbaumVlov ArkhangelMerem SolomonSumireChromclay PetastructureEl NahatBe'zeCaubac Alcatraz
Michael Roa Valdamjong (Remake)
True Ancestors
Altrouge BrunestudArcueid Brunestud (Red ArcueidBerserkerRemake (Eco-ArcArchetype: Earth))
Lamyros
Wolfgang Faustus
Others
Akiha Tohno (Remake) • Hinako AkutaBaobhan SithCarmillaChild of EinnasheEuryaleMedusaSion Eltnam SokarisSthenoVlad III (EXTRAApocryphaBerserker)
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