Hamazura Shiage

Hamazura Shiage (浜面 仕上) is a character introduced in Toaru Majutsu no Index. He initially played a small antagonistic role as the reluctant leader of Skill-Out against Kamijou Touma and Accelerator. However after becoming a subordinate of ITEM his mettle is tested during the citywide factional war on October 9, and proves himself after deciding to protect Takitsubo Rikou and defeating the 4th-ranked Level 5, Mugino Shizuri after being consumed by her need for vengeance against SCHOOL.

A Level 0 without any noticeable powers, he is a science side protagonist who mainly struggles in the story to protect what's important to him from the Dark Side of Academy City, relying only on his skills and wits to outdo his opponents. His continued survival against the odds has turned into an anomaly that disrupts Aleister Crowley's plans and calculations time and time again. His presence in the story as the powerless and unlikely hero marks a strong contrast between the other two protagonists, something that is even noted by Aiwass.

Appearance
He looks like an ordinary teenager with unruly blonde hair. Shiage previously sported a nose piercing a month before his proper introduction but it was violently removed after Touma hits him in the nose with a stolen bullet-proof riot shield.

Personality
Shiage can be considered a balance between Touma and Accelerator. Like most members of his Skill-Out gang, he is lawful; however, while he and Touma share some of the same traits, such as their reputations as delinquents, their victories over higher-ranked espers through tactics, and their interference with Aleister Crowley's plans, he isn't as idealistic or as compassionate as Touma, at least not initially. In battle, he prefers to avoid fighting if possible or to finish the fight as quickly as possible, which is somewhat like Accelerator's personality. Aiwass once commented that Shiage is someone who is never noticed by people and doesn't have any talent, but for the sake of the person he loves, he’ll become the hero. .

Initially, he displayed an inferiority complex that makes him think he can't do anything right or complete. The main reason behind this is that he had been always branded as a powerless person, and unlike Touma, he has yet to display any power at all even "any" manifestation of an esper ability. Therefore, due to his lack of power and mockery by other higher level espers, he joined a Skill-Out gang. This complex can be seen in his usual internal monologue, as he always complains about the situation but he never says it out loud, an example of this is his remonstrations on his treatment by the girls from ITEM as they talk in the family restaurant.

He falls in love with Takitsubo Rikou, and because of this, he decides to fight the 4th-ranked Level 5 esper, Mugino Shizuri, also known as Meltdowner, in order to protect Rikou. As far the plots advances, he began to show a nicer side similar to Touma, as seen when he aids Russian villagers during pirate attacks, convinces Acqua to not give up on life, and his reluctance to fight Mugino leads to him forgive her and express his desire to get everyone back together as ITEM again.

Shiage is suggestive to anything sex-related, as shown when he got a nosebleed simply by seeing Kinuhata Saiai putting a stuffed bunny doll behind Rikou to give her a bunny girl look even though his perversion is usually used as comic relief. .

Background
Not much is known about Shiage other than the fact that he is a Level 0, thus having gone through the Power Curriculum Program. Shiage knows how to operate construction machinery, though how he is able to learn it is not known. Prior to the first Friday of January of the current year, Komaba Ritoku's Skill-Out faction scouts him to be a potential member. By May, Ritoku has named Shiage as the leader of his Skill-Out if anything happens to him.

The Third Friday of January
Shiage, an apparently new member of Komaba Ritoku's Skill-Out, joins him and Hattori Hanzou to steal an entire ATM using his construction equipment knowledge. Shiage asks how they gather money from before, to which Hanzou says that they steal something and then run, leading to Shiage to say that their style is lame. Hanzou says that it would be easy for them to drag a weak-looking person into a back alley and beat the money out of them but says Ritoku is against letting people lay a hand on fragile girls. Shiage asks about Ritoku, to which Hanzou recalls of that scene in an elementary school where Ritoku sent a man with a bow gun who invaded the school flying 5 meters with just his fist. Hanzou declares that when it comes to little girls Ritoku is really shy. They later find Ritoku looking at online store for an XL-sized Santa outfit and white beard. Hattori then says that he remembers what the girl (probably Fremea) said to Ritoku, and that is she asked if Santa Claus really existed. Ritoku then becomes embarrassed.

As they try to check up the ATM, Ritoku calls his attention to a thing he has found, a GPS transmitter. At that moment, Anti-Skill cars drive behind them, and a barricade robot appears ahead of them. Shiage then decides to break through the barrier, forcing the pursuing cars to slam the breaks due to the debris that it caused by destroying the barrier.

Yomikawa Aiho, whose vehicle was used as part of the barricade, manages to jump out of the way as Shiage, Ritoku, and Hanzou manage to get away with their stolen ATM after smashing through the barricade. Their recklessness makes Aiho interested of them. As they drive off and try to get as far away as possible, they find Yomikawa Aiho uses a Fukuoka Fireworks Manufacturing large specialized transport truck catch up to them from a side street, slamming into the station wagon. Shiage lets their station wagon slide as so not to lose control. After he regains control of the vehicle he speeds off again. They later see that she has passed off the vehicle as an Anti-Skill vehicle by attaching red lights on top and uses a megaphone to ordering them to stop.

Hanzou tries to shoot at her, but she uses the truck to pin the station wagon on a guard rail. As it could not handle the force, the rail breaks apart with the station wagon and transport vehicle, sending them into an uninhabited warehouse. After striking the inner wall of the warehouse, the truck becomes stuck and couldn't move anymore. Aiho is later given a three-shot at by Hanzou, who says that it is powerful and cool to fire a bunch of bullets at once. Hearing their argument, Aiho determines that her opponents are all idiots. Suddenly, either due to the crash, the gunshots, or both, the truck's transport of soccer ball-sized fireworks falls out all over the warehouse. Moreover, Hanzou's haphazard firing had hit some sort of electrical wire which in turn has come into contact with some leaking gasoline from the truck. Seeing this, Aiho flees.

This was apparently all set-up by Shiage, who had Hanzou fire at the truck's fuel tank. The three then find that Aiho is running away, to which Shiage says that he wants to capture her and show her up. Ritoku responds that they will do no sexual crimes, though Shiage says he knows and changes the subject to the ATM. As Shiage tries to go back to the station wagon, something hit his toes. Much to their horror, they find one of the soccer ball-sized fireworks spheres on the ground and that the truck they hit is from Fukuoka Fireworks Manufacturing. With a flash from the electric wires that has been severed, the fireworks explode. Aiho later comes and arrest the three after escaping the explosion.

In their cell, they are ignored by their fellow inmates due to how they looked all covered in soot. Shiage complains that though stealing an ATM is bad, Aiho is worse as all the cash in the ATM had been burned up. Ritoku comments that Aiho would likely make things more peaceful if she lets criminals go, and calls her a horrible Anti-Skill and an idiot, though somehow appends at the end that he hates large breasts. Shiage tries to justify to Ritoku that Aiho isn't a fragile girl and then makes lewd gestures regarding what he will do to her. However, Hanzou has yet to speak, as he just sits in the corner of the cell with his arms around his knees and not moving. He then apologizes to Shiage and Ritoku, saying that he has fallen in love with Yomikawa Aiho.

The Fourth Friday of May
After complaining about Ritoku naming him as leader of his Skill-Out if something happens to him, Shiage tries to break in a sports car. Suddenly, he hears someone call out to him by saying "Hamazura-shi". He later discovers that it is Kuruwa, a girl he met a week before still looking for Hanzou, popping from under the sports car he was trying to break into. Seeing her clothes irritate Shiage a little as compared to his shambled look, Kuruwa uses high-quality materials, in his opinion, a terrible yukata. Seeing her, he tells her that he hasn't seen Hanzou either. Her manner of speaking takes Shiage aback however, as she wonders where Hanzou could be. Admiring her breasts, Shiage wonders why Hanzou wants to avoid someone with breasts like Kuruwa's. Peaking at her, Shiage notices that her yukata resembles that of a kunoichi. There however he picks up the pieces that Hanzou's name is exactly that of the legendary ninja Hattori Hanzou. He mocks the connection and goes back to in trying to break into the sports car. Suddenly however, Kuruwa says that she must eliminate him. Hearing this, Shiage notes on how that it is stupid for a ninja then asks if Hanzou truly is a descendant of a near future-like Shinobi Soldier. Kuruwa then becomes flustered, as Shiage's thoughts is preoccupied in wondering if Hanzou truly is a ninja then he must use mysterious ninja techniques. He then wonders why he is being pursued by Kuruwa. Shiage then asks Kuruwa that if Hanzou is from the Hattori family then what group does she belong to.

Kuruwa hesitates in answering. Shiage continues and concludes that there must be some kind of conspiracy involving some ninja faction that's going to plunge Hanzou into some kind of miracle battle. Hearing this, under the belief that Shiage actually knows what he is talking about, Kuruwa says, as she sweats, that she cannot let him return alive. Shiage however is surprised by this, saying that the world of ninjas has some cheap conspiracies, as he buried his head in his hands while Kuruwa is at her wit's end. As Shiage wonders what he should do, Kuruwa pulls out a handgun out of her sleeve, confidently telling Shiage to prepare herself. However, Shiage is unimpressed by this, much to Kuruwa's chagrin. He asks if it is really okay for a ninja. Apparently feeling guilty, Kuruwa tries to explain herself. She says that a ninja is always armed with the latest equipment and as such it is okay for her to use it. She references the ninjas during the up to the  used  camouflaged as staffs and. Shiage clarifies however that he doesn't care what she knows about how it worked historically and tells her not to destroy people's dreams (his stereotyping of what ninjas do), noting several clichéd ninja techniques like splitting into multiple versions of herself in a puff of smoke, among others. As Shiage goes away disappointed, Kuruwa begs him not to go with such a sorrowful look in his eyes.

Much to Shiage's annoyance, his dramatic acting didn't help him in getting away from her, though Kuruwa has not realized his ruse and completely forgotten about searching for Hanzou. Wanting to impress Shiage, Kuruwa says that she is going to show him a ninja technique, though Shiage doesn't believe. Kuruwa says that she is serious about it, and says that Shiage is lucky as a chance like this doesn't come along often. Hearing this, Shiage becomes interested in seeing a real ninja technique, and enters a back alley at the invitation of Kuruwa. Shiage assumes that she doesn't want to use her ninja technique in public, to which Kuruwa says that he is correct though says it also embarrassing. As Shiage becomes confused at this, Kuruwa begins undressing before him, much to his shock, asking Kuruwa what she is doing. Kuruwa says that she thought Shiage wanted to see a kunoichi technique, to which Shiage replies that what she is doing isn't something that he wanted to see. In spite of his remonstrations and truly believing that Kuruwa is going to show him her naked body, Shiage becomes excited at the prospect. Suddenly, Kuruwa twists her hips as she continues undressing, which inconveniences Shiage as he can't see her from the angle is she is undressing. Distracted by this, Kuruwa sees an opening and knocks Shiage out.

The First Friday of October
Shiage's first job as a member of the subordinate organization for ITEM is to forge an ID for Kinuhata Saiai to fake her age as she wants to watch an R18 movie. With that done, she later takes Shiage with her to assure that her cover that she is of mature age holds up. After going through backalleys they eventually come upon a secluded theater that showed specialty films.

Entering the small theater, Shiage asks Saiai why no one is there fifteen minutes before the movie starts. A great sigh escapes Saiai, surprising Shiage. Here, Saiai discovers that since she is the first guest of the exclusive screening then it means she's the only one that truly understands how great the film they are about to see truly is. Here, she laments on how it feels like she is the only the director is trying to reach through the film. After buying some popcorn, Shiage finds the already seated Saiai mocking his choice of popcorn, saying that it makes one thirsty. In spite of this, Saiai consumes the popcorn he brought. Shiage shows that he has brought a drink, to which Saiai mocks though at the same time drinks it.

As the movie starts, Shiage questions the quality of their production. Here, Saiai lectures him that B movies like the one they are watching is supposed to be poor of production. Shiage asks why they couldn't just watch a normal movie in a normal theater. Saiai says that though the huge hits may break records over and over again, but a good B or C movies will stick with one more. In spite of this, Shiage just sighs and says he doesn't understand it.

Hearing Saiai's words, Shiage thinks that it can apply to espers as well, wondering how many espers had undisplayed abilities that were hidden because the city lacked budget, staff, or the proper facilities and equipment. He then wonders about his own powers, about Saiai's own powers, as well as the possibility that people outside the city displayed powers that can rank them amongst the Level 5s. As these thoughts fill his mind, he projects his feelings regarding espers to that the film, and became more interested in the film he is watching with Saiai.

Believing that he now understood Saiai he looks to her. Much to his surprise, she complains on how the film is boring. Annoyed, Shiage complains about her attitude and asks for her to at least pretend she is enjoying the film. Saiai explains that she thought that it would be good but became disinterested after 10 minutes. Shiage complains about how he felt he understood B movies and the growing sense of identity he had with it. This just confuses Saiai, asking what kind of understanding he can get from the terrible movie they are watching. Having loss empathy for the heroine in the movie, Saiai estimates her time of death. Shiage protests, saying the heroine will survive the movie. Hearing this, Saiai proposes a bet, wagering a pack of gum.

Needless to say, Shiage immediately loses after the heroine is eaten in the movie, much to Saiai's delight.

Abilities
Hamazura Shiage is a true level 0 with no esper abilities. As a result, if he wants to survive, he must think ahead and rely on his wits and his skill in weapons. He has demonstrated that he's considerably proficient with firearms. He was able to successfully shoot 3 people holding Rikou hostage while falling out of a helicopter. In close combat, as he is a Skill-Out often involved in streetfights he is very skilled, able to go toe-to-toe against Touma during their fight. Shiage himself has stated that in order to fight with espers, Skill-Outs work out more than professional athletes in order to have a chance. Moreover, using his wits, he constantly outsmarts higher level espers who underestimate him or rely heavily on their powers, an example of this is shown when he tricks Mugino into attacking a jet while he escaped, leaving her caught in an explosion. He also showed as well to be a great tactician, knowing when to use his advantages, such as when he instead used the case to attack Mugino's eye first in order to make her think he had no weapons, until the right moment where he can take her by surprise using his gun. During his talk with ITEM's liaison at the end of World War 3, he stalled her long enough for Digurv to get help, during this instance he also learned enough about the Parameter List and how it could be used to blackmail the Academy City Board of Directors to negotiate with him.

Of other skills he has, he has proven he has to get through security systems and locks by using a fiberscope on a connector at the bottom of his cell phone that he uses to send a small optical fiber thinner than somen into the keyhole to check the arrangement of the pins then, he uses the image of the inside of the keyhole displayed on his phone to use a number of wires to unlock the door. He can also operate heavy machinery, a fact that is praised by his Skill-Out comrades and even aiding Touma when he was in need.

Design evolution
Shiage was simply designed by Haimura "as someone to lose" to Touma, although, he did not consider that his role in the story might expand greatly later. Shiage is as well affected by Haimura's style change for the novels, having larger heads and smaller bodies.

For his appearance in the 3rd New Testament volume, Haimura had him wear the outfit hat he drew for him in, along with Misaka Mikoto.

Komaba Ritoku
Komaba was one of Shiage's best friends during his days in Skill-Out and not only cared for him but also respected him as the leader of that organization. It’s on his behalf that Shiage decided to protect Fremea Seivelun. He also participated in the stealing of ATM machines and was the one that lead the operation. It can be said that Shiage's philosophy of protecting the weak was influenced by him and Kamijou Touma.

Hattori Hanzou
Hanzou has been one of Shiage's best friends since his early days in Skill-Out and therefore cares about his progress and well-being. It have been stated that they had a lot of fun, along with Komaba Ritoku, stealing ATM machines where Hanzou was the one who came up with the planning. He was the one who gave Shiage the lady's gun he used to defeat Mugino Shizuri and is always encouraging him to come back to Skill-Out, but still, he respects his decision of not doing so.

Takitsubo Rikou
Takitsubo Rikou is Shiage's girlfriend. They began dating after volume fifteen and have been together ever since. Shiage fell in love with Rikou because she treated him kindly when he was an ITEM grunt, in contrast of the other members who treated him like dirt. He has repeatedly proven his willingness to go to any length to protect her, including fighting the level 5 Mugino Shizuri.

Kinuhata Saiai
Kinuhata Saiai was Shiage's superior in the original ITEM, and one of his team members in the new one. They have been friends since the end of volume 15. Regardless of his status she always treats him like a lackey and enjoys teasing him.

Mugino Shizuri
The relationship between Shiage and Mugino is portrayed as one of evolution. At first, she only sees Shiage as a disposable grunt, therefore she only acknowledges his existence to mock him or to give him orders. Then after her defeat at his hands, she became obsessed with the idea of killing him to the point that she disregards her own well-being. This conduct finds its motive in the fact that a level 0 like Shiage beat an elite level 5 like her. This only changes when Shiage shows his concern for her as a friend and his desire to reform ITEM. It's from this point onward that Mugino acknowledges Hamazura as a colleague and true friend, although she still frequently mocks him.

Kamijou Touma
Hamazura and Touma were once enemies due to the city's assasination attempt on Misaka Misuzu, after those events and his defeat Touma's influence greatly inspired his philosophy of protecting the weak, Hamazura has so much respect for Touma that he even call him "boss", even going so far to help him in his adventures and fights regarding the Magic Side like with GREMLIN and St German.

Trivia

 * While Hamazura lacks any visible power, like Touma or Accelerator, he possesses skills that both of them have. He is a skilled hand-to-hand fighter and tactician like Touma, and skilled with firearms and machinery like Accelerator.

Quotes

 * (Said to Kamijou Touma, from Index Volume SS1): "So that’s what happened? We’re all done for here. We’re all going to get taken in by Anti-Skill and the guy at the center of it doesn’t even know what’s going on? My life, the life of Hamazura Shiage, is about to end. This is the finale... I thought I had at least gotten wrapped up in some conspiracy or been dealing with some genius tactician, but I wasn’t even being tricked? Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!"
 * (Said to Touma, talking about Skill Out, ibid): "Level 0's like us can't live without doing this kind of thing! We get mocked wherever we go, and when we make a place for ourselves, it gets destroyed in the name of making the area look nice. With things like that, what path other than preying on others is there for a level 0?"
 * (Said to Touma regarding Ritoku, ibid): "Our level 0 leader, Komaba Ritoku, lived like that and he died earlier today. He died while trying to protect the weak! In the end, it just isn't that simple for us. When the dropouts in the back alleys try to do that kind of thing, we just get laughed at!!"
 * (Internal monologue regarding being part of ITEM, from Index Volume 15): "Being the only guy in a group of girls is kind of awkward."
 * (Said to Takitsubo Rikou as he drives an automatic transmission car, ibid): "You don't need a card to drive: you need the skills."
 * (During his escape from the Girl in the dress, ibid): "Ha ha!! Being a loser is the beeeeessssttt!!"
 * (To Rikou, ibid): "Damn it. When did a Level 0 life become such a cheap thing…?"
 * (Shiage's thoughts after Rikou protects him from Kakine Teitoku, ibid): "But I thought espers didn’t care about the life of someone like me. I thought we were like a bunch of disposable convenience store umbrellas. So if I died, I wouldn’t just be burnt to ash in a furnace and thrown away with the kitchen trash?"
 * (Said to Mugino Shizuri about Rikou, ibid): "But she said she didn't want a selfish bastard like me to die. She's the kind of person who says things like that! Someone like her needs to be happy. It isn't people like you and me that should stand above everyone else. If we don't create a society where the kind idiots stand at the top guiding everyone else, this shitty world will never get any better!!"
 * (After defeating Mugino Shizuri, ibid) "That was too easy, Level 5."
 * (Said to Russian Privates, from Index Volume 20): "It’s a cold day today... nice day for a barbecue."
 * (Said to Digurv, from Index Volume 21) "I have no intention of having my life cut short and I’m not going to force your hand. I will live on and I will run as far away as I need to in order to do so. So believe in me just this once. Don’t give up. What we hold within ourselves is not something cheap enough to just abandon because of a war."
 * (Said to Acqua of the Back, from Index Volume 21) "You've managed to survive in these situations for such a long time. That time you saved me and my friends, it didn't seem like anything special to you, as that was the path you walked. So a guy like you will never be alone. Even if you don't think about it, there are several people relying on you. What will happen to them?"
 * (Said to Acqua of the Back, ibid): "To die for the sake of the world, to die to protect others, who would accept such stupid excuses?!! They are unacceptable! The reason you fight is not to let those waiting for you to not be able to do anything other than cry!!" (...) Stand up, hero!" "STAAAANDD UPPPP!!!"
 * (Said to Mugino regarding saving her as well, from Index Volume 22): "To get back everyone together as ITEM, I’m willing to stake my life on it."
 * (Said to Equ.DarkMatter soldier, ibid): "This is ‘ITEM’. Don’t go forgetting that even if you go to hell!"
 * (Said to the ITEM liaison, ibid): "Humans really are scary. As long as they can make the excuse that they are doing something to protect those they care about, they can do any kind of cruel thing. That’s how I see it anyway. I’ll be showing you just how cruel humans can be."
 * (Said to a man, from NT1) "Everyone has things I don’t. No matter how much I struggle, I just can’t obtain them and yet I still have a final goal that I want to grab no matter what. Be proud, hero. You are what I long to be."
 * (To Rikou, from NT6) "...Takitsubo, can I be completely honest? This is a pain in the ass... But it means we can’t overlook this."
 * (To Rikou, ibid) "I may have been stuck behind the scenes without anything important to do... But getting a shitty role is no reason to slack off!!"