Kanou Shinka

Kanou Shinka (加納神華) is a character introduced in Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index. Despite being mall and timid, he takes the the name of Aihana Etsu in order to find clues on what had happened to his friend Frenda Seivelun, and with a little help from Kamijou Touma and Hamazura Shiage finds the strength within himself in order to protect the memory of Frenda.

Appearance
Shinka is a short boy who appears to be about twelve. He has shoulder-length brown hair, and wears a black hooded jacket with bears ears. He wears black shorts with it, as well as a blue shirt and socks.

Personality
He is described as a crybaby, and is shown to be timid and easily frightened. It is likely because of these qualities that St. Germain was able to easily manipulate and sweet talk him. Despite this, his heart is in the right place as he is willing to go meddle in the affairs of the Dark Side of Academy City and fake his own identity just to search for his friend and, even after finding out about her death, is willing to fight for the sake of his memory of her.

Background
Frenda Seivelun was Shinka's friend despite him being oblivious to her involvement with the Dark Side of Academy City. Once she told Shinka that he admired his crying because he could shed tears for anyone's tragedy because she herself is unable to do so. Frenda later divulges to him that she has a secret base in the Dianoid where she says was a place that had no connection to the "light or the dark".

She later disappears from his life and later, not knowing that she had died, he tries looking for her whereabouts. But his meddling in the Dark Side of Academy City was noticed by Yokosuka. He beats him up and suggests to him to make use of Aihana Etsu's identity, not knowing that Yokosuka works for Etsu in helping other people through the use of his name.

Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index
He first appears after being beaten up by Yokosuka and recalls his words to him. He later decides to use become Aihana Etsu in order to search for Frenda. Using a fake ID he goes into the Dianoid as he believes it would have a clue in finding out what happened to Frenda. He deceives thugs from the "darkness" on his way to the Dianoid using the name Aihana Etsu, but later runs into a girl who is also using Aihana Etsu's identity, forcing him to run away. He then ends up in the bottom-level of the Dianoid, finding Hamazura Shiage and Stephanie Gorgeouspalace there as they were transporting good using the Power Lifter. He tries to use Aihana Etsu's name again but it only intimidates Stephanie. Scared, Shinka runs away again as she argues with Shiage.

Tired of running, he later ends up on the same floor as Kamijou Touma. Seeing his state, he buys him a bottled water. After divulging on how he is in the Dianoid to rescue a girl, Shinka once again introduces himself as Aihana Etsu, the 6th-ranked level 5, but Touma however is not intimidated. He introduces himself to Shika, prompting him to panic that he is before Kamijou Touma after hearing many rumors about him. Shinka later runs away just as soon as St. Germain makes his move on Touma.

Quotes

 * (From NT Index 12): "To hell with Academy City. To hell with Level 5. To hell with the hierarchy! To hell with the pyramid structure!! I overcame it all. I’ve made it through the first gate! Now… Now no one can stop me. I’ll have you show me where you’ve hidden that girl!!"