Cynthia Exment

Cynthia Exment (シンシア＝エクスメント) is a Magician who appears in Toaru Majutsu no Index SS: Necessarius Special Admission Test, the leader of the Royal Astronomical Research Organization and a member of the Amakusa Christian Church's Overseas Branch.

She is the primary antagonist of the side story and is the primary reason for much of the story's conflict. In spite of this, she is absent for much of it and only appears near the end as the final twist in the story.

Appearance
Cynthia has wavy blonde hair, tied at the back, and blue eyes. She wears a purple dress reminiscent of a long-sleeved kimono and obi, thick white stockings, Japanese-style sandals and a tree peony hair clip.

Personality
Cynthia has no qualms about manipulating factions, causing destruction and disrupting the balance of power, if it will help her accomplish her ultimate goal. She has inherited the desire of the Amakusa Church's Overseas Branch to return home to Japan, despite the fact that so many generations have passed that there are nearly no Japanese traits left in her - in appearance, name and thoughts, something which she looks down on herself because of.

Background
In the past, Cynthia and the Royal Astronomical Research Organization have been involved in secret conflicts between the Magic and Science sides, due to the treaty not covering the fields of space and the stars well. With Academy City making overwhelming advances in the field of space development, they decided that continuing research on the Magic side would not allow them to advance humanity's space research much further. However with their knowledge, they couldn't simply switch sides. As such, they intended to create a situation where England would be forced to change sides, from Magic to Science, allowing them to perform research with a scientific approach.

However it is later revealed that Cynthia's true intention is to return to the original home of the Amakusas, Japan, fulfilling the wishes of her ancestors. As a member of the Overseas Branch, she is descended from the Amakusas who escaped Japan on Dutch ships during the time they were being oppressed, but found themselves unable to fit into foreign society, and sought a way back home.

At some point, Cynthia sold a spell based on the end of St. George to the Pound Economy countries, which they intended to use to free themselves from England, as part of her plan.

Toaru Majutsu no Index SS: Necessarius Special Admission Test
After the Pound Economy's magical foundation is destroyed by the St. George spell, which she had altered to target them instead of London, Cynthia prepared to begin her final battle with England, making a call to Queen Elizard to provoke her into taking action.

Cynthia was soon surrounded by Magicians from the Anglican Church. Lying on the floor after receiving attacks, Cynthia seemingly acknowledged their victory, mentioning she had no tricks up her sleeves. However Itsuwa and Tsushima, who had just arrived assumed she was still plotting something. As they wondered if this was a body double or whether she was letting herself be captured on purpose, Cynthia said that wasn't it and held her wooden staff, a seemingly weak piece of equipment. She mentioned her plan was simpler than what they had in mind, that the pound economy's destruction would lead to this and that they were only able to beat her up like this because the higher-ups were being slow to act, though it seemed like they were making up for the delay.

Realizing the danger, Itsuwa shouted to the Anglicans to restrain her and take her staff away, but they saw no threat seeing as they'd 'won'. As Itsuwa threw her spear tip at Cynthia, however at that moment Cynthia intercepted the data transmission from the British Museum to the pound economy, and used it to deflect the spear tip. Cynthia then smiled as she described how she didn't need any great spiritual item for her plan, just one spiritual item to intercept and read the data to obtain every sample inside the British Museum. The Anglicans attacked her from all angles, but she dispatched them all with her staff, which shifted and reproduced various weapons from the Museum. Declaring she now possessed the power of the British Museum, Cynthia said that her next attack would destroy the Museum itself and leave the pound economy unable to recover. As Itsuwa mentioned out loud how her main target was the museum and not the queen, Cynthia asked if she thought she was attempting to assassinate Elizard, describing it as a pain and something which wouldn't anything. Shifting her staff to a sword, Cynthia told Itsuwa she had no reason to let her live and attacked her, though Tsushima protected Itsuwa from most of the attack. She then left to carry out the next part of her plan.

Making her way to in front of the museum, she defeated several Anglican Magicians sent to intercept her. As she rested her staff on hers shoulder, she mentioned how history sides with the victor. Deeming them below average, she wondered if they were trying to hold her back with numbers, though she considered that they'd need every weapon in the museum to stand against her now. She then turned round as Itsuwa arrived, asking whether she thought it was a bit late for her to turn up, to which Itsuwa asked her if she really thought she would just give up.

Charging at Itsuwa, Cynthia changed her staff into a wooden sword with a razor-like carved bone attached. Sensing that the attack would go through her spear, Itsuwa used it instead to leap backwards to avoid the attack. Cynthia continued her charge, ready to launch a second attack. Unable to dodge in the air, Itsuwa disconnected part of her spear's handle and threw it at Cynthia who knocked it away on reflex, giving Itsuwa a moment to land and swing her spear. Cynthia fell back, though the spear's tip caught her slightly on the chest.

As the handle landed, the second clash began. Moving faster than Itsuwa, Cynthia made use of a stone shield to deflect her spear, a club to strike her torso and a rainbow-colored bow to target her as she fell back. As Itsuwa was knocked back, she felt confused about how her opponent was fighting but then realized how she had been weaving magical symbols into her actions, like an Amakusa. Cynthia then asked if she had caught on and confirmed that she belonged to the Amakusa Church's Overseas Branch.

Describing the story of the Amakusa Overseas Branch, how they'd escaped on Dutch ships only to find themselves unable to fit into the new foreign society, Cynthia voiced their desire to return to Japan no matter how look it took. She then added that the Japanese Amakusas were not actually part of the plan, but it was an amusing coincidence, with Amakusas both being scapegoats and truly behind the incident, and as polar opposites set to trample the other to accomplish their desires.

Itsuwa said that if she was acting on a desire to return home she should have realized that everyone would be just as sad if their homeland was destroyed, but Cynthia replied that she didn't expect any understanding from her, saying that people who happily abandoned Japan could never understand her anguish. As Itsuwa stood up, Cynthia threw the discarded spear piece towards her and told her to reattach it, wanting to defeat her at her best. As Itsuwa did so, she shifted her staff to the animal bone sword. Itsuwa then sliced a nearby streetlight and at that signal, the two clashed as it fell.

Confident in her victory and able to perceive Itsuwa's actions like in slow-motion, Cynthia charged forward and sliced off the tip of Itsuwa's spear with her sword, removing the spear's magic symbolism, before reversing the sword and aiming for Itsuwa's neck. As she was doing so, Cynthia noticed a change in Itsuwa's movements but was still confident she'd behead her. However, Itsuwa stopped Cynthia's attack with her own.

Shocked that her attack had been blocked, Cynthia was even more surprised to see that Itsuwa was using a blade identical to her own. Pushing back and swinging her blade several more times, Cynthia asked how she got that sword as she didn't have it before. Itsuwa pointed out that she didn't have one before either, but had her staff transform into one. Cynthia then noticed the remains of Itsuwa's spear were missing and realized what had happened. As she shifted her weapon to repeatedly attack, Itsuwa changed hers to match Cynthia's and countered them. Wondering if she got the museum's data, Cynthia mentioned that the stick which remained of the spear was different from her spiritual item so she still shouldn't be able to use the same attacks as her.

Itsuwa replied that she wasn't basing it off the museum's data, but off Cynthia's actions. She added that if she were born with something special she wouldn't have been able to correspond closely enough to her. Going on the defensive, Cynthia said if she shouldn't have caught up with her spell just by simply mimicking her actions. Smiling, Itsuwa agreed but added that they were both Amakusa so they'd naturally end up in the same place. Cynthia declared that she would return no matter what, to the place her ancestors dreamed of returning to for over a hundred years. Replying that reality was always harsh, Itsuwa said that their power was now even and it came down to their skill and mental strength, telling Cynthia if she wished to declare victory to do so after defeating her. The two charged and clashed swords with one another. Cynthia once declared that they will return to their original country after being restricted for so long, no matter what they had to crush on their way. Itsuwa replied that even if that method brought her home, she would find a land no different from any other and would not be able to rest from the guilt over the blood shed to reach it, having strayed from the proper path.

Thinking about the meaning of Kanzaki's magic name, the ideal form of the Amakusas as ones who protect people and how they should never abandon someone who thought this was the only way to save themselves, Itsuwa declared that the Amakusa should fight to protect people's smiles no matter where they live and that if Cynthia had forgotten that then she could not agree with it no matter what she said. As their blades were locked, Itsuwa slammed her head in Cynthia's forehead and smashed her sword guard into her nose as she staggered back.

After being defeated, Cynthia was taken away by the Anglicans for questioning.

Abilities
As a member of the Amakusa Overseas Branch, Cynthia incorporates magical symbols into her actions and mannerisms during combat. After downloading the information from the British Museum into her staff, Cynthia was able to use the replicated spiritual items from its arsenal without any difficulty.

Described as a "genius girl", Cynthia is capable of running a group such as the Royal Astronomical Research Organization almost entirely on her own.

Equipment
Cynthia carries a small wooden staff, resembling a bamboo cane, which seemingly possesses little threat. However it is capable of intercepting the transmission of data from the British Museum and read it in order to acquire data on the spiritual items within. After obtaining this data, it can replicate the form and powers of those spiritual items, changing shape in an organic-looking fashion like a tree growing on fast forward.

The spiritual items replicated by the staff include a large hammer, a spear which fires lightning from its tip, something which causes countless hands to grow from the ground and drag foes into the earth, a sword which produces a thunderous attack, a wooden sword with a razor-like carved animal bone attached which resembles a Japanese sword, a round stone shield, a club, a rainbow-colored bow, a stone axe and a trident.

Design evolution
Appearing in only a single volume so far, Cynthia's design remains the same throughout the series. According to Haimura, with the various Japanese elements in her design, one could call her a Japanese gothic lolita.