Vento of the Front

Vento of the Front (前方のヴェント) is a character introduced in Toaru Majutsu no Index. The only female member of the secretive God's Right Seat, Vento of the Front displays a fearsome appearance that suits well with her attitude and power. She is the first member of God's Right Seat introduced, making her one of the most powerful magicians in the series.

She is the main magic side antagonist of the Academy City Invasion Arc, as a counterpart to the science side's antagonist Kihara Amata.

Etymology
Vento's assumed name is the Italian word for "wind".

Appearance
Vento of the Front is usually clad in yellow which is accentuated by the color brown. She wears a yellow kirtle with the symbol of the cross over a brown collared undershirt reaching up to cover her hands, in combination with removable yellow sleeves that goes from her wrist to her upper arms. Vento also wears brown hosiery and yellow shoes. Finally she covers her head with a yellow headpiece. Central to her outfit is a thorn design theme, which covers a piece of brown cloth which is part of her head wear as well her wearing a thorn belt around her waist.

Vento of the Front is described as having a virgin-like figure though this is ruined by her self-presentation, with her heavily pierced face and heavy make-up. Though sometimes hidden, she carries a chain that was pierced at the bottom of her tongue with the Cross of Divine Punishment attached to it.

Coupled with her demeanor and personality, this was willingly made by Vento of the Front as to give people a negative impression of her and makes it easier to trigger the Divine Punishment.

Personality
Vento of the Front has a very spiteful personality as a deliberate attempt to provoke someone to trigger Divine Punishment. She is shown to be very assertive and impatient and has shown little respect to people of authority such as the Pope when coercing him to immediately sign a document that will make Kamijou Touma an enemy of God. Vento of the Front is also shown to be very sarcastic and delves into taunting when talking to an opponent such as Aleister Crowley or to Touma during her first battle with him.

Vento of the Front's most prominent character feature is her highly negative disposition towards science due to the nature of her brother's death, for which she blames science. However, because she chose to act and look to provoke animosity, she willingly allowed herself to be isolated from others, where even the possibility of being given good will is suppressed by her actions. This is due to Vento of the Front blaming herself for the death of her brother who chose to die so that she may live, she subsequently decided to blame science for his death because it was a convenient scapegoat for her. Vento of the Front knows this as well, and acknowledges the disdain her own looks brought upon her by her spell.

Vento of the Front also seem to have a low opinion on non-Catholics, calling them "heathen monkeys".

Background
When she was a child, she went with her younger brother to an amusement park, however, an accident occurred during one of the attraction's test runs which severely injured the two siblings. During their treatment it was eventually discovered that they both had the extremely rare blood type B Rh negative. With blood donors scarce and the doctors unable to save them both, her brother choose to sacrifice his life in order for her to live. Because of this, she hates science.

She later becomes a member of God's Right Seat, and dons the name Vento of the Front.

La Regina del Mare Adriatico Arc
She first appeared after the events of the destruction of the Queen of the Adriatic Sea talking to the Pope about the failure of Biagio in modifying the Queen of the Adriatic Sea, and forcing him to sign the documents that makes Kamijou Touma an enemy of the Roman Catholic Church.

Academy City Invasion Arc
Later, when the Pope declared Touma of being a heretic and a menace to the Roman Catholic Church she went to Academy City with the objective of kill Touma even if that means the destruction of Academy City. During her attack when she snuck into Academy City, knocked out more than 70% of Anti-Skills and Judgment members as well as the population, which later increased almost about the 90%, and killed three members of the Board of Directors as provocation to Aleister Crowley and next declaring to him that she will crush Aleister, Academy City, Imagine Breaker and Index.

First on her search for Touma, she crosses paths with Kihara Amata, thus allowing Accelerator to run away along with Index in a minivan, saying Index is also one of her targets and she doesn't feel like letting others taking her prey. She makes quick work against the Hound Dog that Amata sent out to attack her, after discovering that her Divine Punishment is ineffective against him.

During Touma's hiding from the Hound Dogs inside a family restaurant with Last Order, she knocked the Hound Dogs out and introduced herself to Touma, informing him that he is the enemy of the Roman Catholic Church and is her objective to kill him, and if necessary they can wipe Japan off the map if it means eliminating Touma, as an enemy of the church. Vento then tries to crush Last Order and the people who were lying unconscious on the floor to trigger the Divine Punishment on Touma, but was useless because of the protection of the Imagine Breaker. Taking advantage that Touma was fighting her and at the same protecting the people of getting killed of her attacks, managed to corner to him, but then suddenly her body started to go numb and spurt blood out of her mouth due to Aleister activating the incomplete Artificial Heaven by using Fuse KAZAKIRI. This forced her to withdraw of the fight, recalling Aleister's words about not underestimate the true form of Academy City changed her objectives and decided to seek for Aleister's last defenses only to meet once again with Touma who was trying to save Kazakiri Hyouka.

After seeing Fuse KAZAKIRI Vento switched her target to destroy the 'Fallen Angel' that Kazakiri Hyouka turned into, saying it's a abomination to Christianity, but was stopped by Touma. Her overconfidence, arrogance, and lack of resolution to her beliefs allowed Touma to destroy her illusions and defeat her. After her loss she is retrieved by Acqua of the Back and left Academy City.

Acqua of the Back Arc
Vento of the Front appears at the very end to comment on the destruction caused by Fiamma of the Right after his brief fight with the Pope. Knowing on how he took most of the brunt of Fiamma of the Right's attack to prevent civilian casualties, Vento of the Front calls back to their conversation after the failed use of the La Regina del Mare Adriatico, asking him if he still hates to be voted by the people after saving the lost sheep. The Pope tries to tell Vento of the Front to go to England where Fiamma of the Right is going, to which Vento of the Front says not to command her, though says that since Fiamma of the Right's goal is to kill everyone she'll just let it be. Vento of the Front then notices the street urchin glaring at her, and praises her hostility, though states that she is lucky as if she had her original weapon, she would've died. Vento of the Front later leaves, and medical personnel later take care of the Pope.

British Royal Family Arc
Vento of the Front secretly makes contact with Acqua of the Back, where they discuss the movements of France and England after the Eurotunnel bombing, and on how England asking aid from Academy City and America would affect Europe. She also complains about Fiamma of the Right gaining almost complete control of the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox forces and that they have no longer any authority. Vento of the Front tells Acqua of the Back that she will not be joining him in England and instead "shock Fiamma a lot more" indicating her later actions in Russia.

She is the one who informs Acqua of the Back that Russia has made its move, forcing him to quickly leave the United Kingdom immediately after suppressing Carissa's coup.

Later she heads to Russia, instead going to England like Acqua did. She rescues Sasha Kreutzev from being captured by Russian Orthodox Church forces to thwart Fiamma of the Right's plans. She has her hide with her in a cave hidden by the snow. Sasha tries to question her though Vento of the Front has little patience for them. She asks Sasha where she is planning to go, to which she is lost for words. Vento of the Front states that alliance between Rome and Russia has brought God's Right Seat to the country and that Sasha will not be safe until she leaves it, to which Vento of the Front suggests going to Elizalina Alliance of Independent Nations. Vento of the Front says that though she has no real duty in helping her, she doesn't like the people who are after her more, and that she is willing to do things that she isn't used to. Sasha is worried that going there might give Russia a cause to invade, though Vento of the Front states that it is already too late as Russia is attacking the nations that have declared independence. Sasha doesn't believe it, but says that bringing her there would certainly cause more bloodshed. Vento of the Front points out that she is an important target that needs to be alive, as such Russia would be forced to not attack indiscriminately. She reveals Fiamma of the Right behind the conflict and that going to Elizalina would have the Anglican Church and Academy City's attention turn towards there as well, forcing Russia not to attack.

With that, Sasha meekly accepts Vento of the Front's help as well as her demand to pay for inn accommodations. Vento of the Front then asks about her queer clothes, to which Sasha says that Vento of the Front has no right to call her that seeing she is wearing yellow clothes. Sasha then pulls out the clothes Vasilisa prepared for her and seeing it as a Magical Powered Kanamin costume, Sasha was prepared to reveal herself just so she can punch Vasilisa in the face, much to Vento of the Front's chagrin.

World War III Arc
During the battle Vento commanded a fleet several kilometers away to bombard Fiamma. Icicles several hundred meters in length, numbering in millions of spears, pierced where Fiamma is. The land got sliced up, ice and dust raged for kilometers all around, and a giant mountain of ice blades is where Fiamma was. He broke out and she ordered even larger shots fired but he destroyed them without much work and proceeded to rip out the cross Vento used for the spell and smash her jaw at the same time.

She, Touma, Lessar, Sasha Kreutzev, and the leader of Elizalina were thoroughly beaten by Fiamma of the Right.

Magic God Othinus Arc
In the final recreation of the world by Othinus created specifically to break Touma's spirit, known as the Version_Omega world in-text, where several characters from the original world have been "saved" or have not experienced great tragedy, members of the Gods' Right Seat are all alive and well. Touma sees them in the park where Othinus put Touma in after recreating the world. Vento of the Front walked hand in hand with her younger brother, Terra of the Left is alive and is drinking iced coffee under the same parasol as Fiamma of the Right and Acqua of the Back.

Abilities
She is blessed with the nature of "God's Flame" and is aligned to the Archangel Uriel after purifying her body from the Original Sin, as such she lost the capabilty to cast human magic but gained the capability to cast angelic magic. Though when she fought Fiamma he remarked she can somehow use 'normal' magic once more, from her first attack towards him and how she rebuilt the core crucifix of 'Queen of Adriatic Sea'.

Divine Punishment
Divine Punishment (天罰術式) is a large-scale suppression magic spell which applies the logic that no one should bear any menace towards God, if so, punishment will apply. As explained by Idol Theory, using the significance of being pierced by steel in Christianity, such as the piercings on her face that bears the attribute of the nails that pierced the Son of God to the cross, and the hammer that she carries which bears the attribute of the hammer that nailed him to the cross. Because of this Vento of the Front can symbolically mimic the Son of God's body during his crucifixion, as such she is practically substituting herself as God for the Divine Punishment to work. In combination of her now already intimidating looks, she uses provocative speech patterns as well to incite hostility to successfully trigger Divine Punishment.

This magic literally strips people of their consciousness if they ever bear any ill will to Vento of the Front. The spell is a large-scale one considering that it can affect anyone in the world, regardless of distance or knowledge of Vento of the Front. For example a person hears on the news that an intruder (Vento of the Front) has invaded Academy City and the person bears ill will to the intruder, then that person will activate and receive Divine Punishment. The spell works by stripping away oxygen inside the victim's body, leaving the minimum necessary amount as to not hinder brain and organ functions, forcing the physical body to go into a state like an animal's hibernation period in order to preserve survival. It is also stated by Index that there may be certain stages in response to hostility given to the user such as depriving consciousness, body-binding, and even preventing interference from the outside.

Resuscitation through regulated oxygen supply to victims is impossible as such the only possible way for revitalization is when the magician deems that punishment is no longer needed, or when the core of the Divine Punishment is destroyed, which is the cross that is at the end of the chain that is attached on Vento of the Front's tongue at which point Vento of the Front will no longer be able to use Divine Punishment.

Kamijou Touma is immune to the spell due to his Imagine Breaker, while a Pope-class Walking Church can also render it's user immune from Divine Punishment. Kihara Amata is shown to be unaffected by Divine Punishment upon meeting Vento, even as he ordered Hound Dogs to kill her. This phenomenon stems from Kihara Amata's own personality; though he desired to kill Vento, he felt none of the hostility that is normally associated with the intent to kill, comparing killing people to pulling out weeds. Vento of the Front herself states that he is truly rotten to the core or at least similar to her.

Other spells

 * Wind Hammer: Vento of the Front uses a barbed hammer that represent the hammer that nailed the Son of God to the cross. Here, she summons at the same time a big hammer made of air to bludgeon her opponents using a complicated pattern derived from sweeping her barbed hammer on the movements of the chain attached to her tongue, which traces the desired trajectory of the wind hammer. The movements of the air is stated by Touma as following the principles of fluid mechanics.


 * La Regina del Mare Adriatico: As of Volume 20 she modified the Queen of Adriatic Sea on top of Biagio's original modifications, and she now has the power to summon parts of the guardian magical armada to wherever she is. This is shown by a cross made of ice and shaped like a anchor pierced onto her tongue in the place of the cross that uses 'Divine Punishment' that was destroyed earlier. Vento explains this as her element is wind and wind is a crucial part of sailing, so she have partial control over spells that are water-based. However her ability to control the Queen of Adriatic was destroyed when she fought against Fiamma, when he ripped the cross out of her tongue.

Design evolution
Vento of the Front's design was based on the idea that there should be more variety than moe-girls in the series. Here, Vento of the Front is similar with the likes of Heaven Canceller, Sherry Cromwell, and Oriana Thomson. She is designed to fit in the world of Toaru Majutsu no Index the least. Haimura later designed Vento of the Front's unadorned head for volume 20, but forgot about it. Here, her hair is similar to Orsola Aquinas.

Trivia

 * Her face isn't heavily pierced in the anime trailer.

Quotes

 * (To Aleister Crowley) "I am Vento of the Front. The ultimate weapon among 2 billion people. I will crush everything tonight. You, Academy City, Imagine Breaker, the Index Librorum Prohibitorum…everything."
 * (To Kamijou Touma) "I am Vento of the Front, a member of God's Right Seat. Target located. And so, it's time to kill you, Kamijou Touma."
 * (To Kamijou Touma) "You don't need to be so nervous. You won't even have time to feel the pain."
 * (To Fiamma of the Right): “I have no duty to support that kid or that Russian Orthodox nun, but I’ve had enough of seeing you mess around with the Roman Catholic Church."