Kazakiri Hyouka

Kazakiri Hyouka (風斬 氷華) is Index's first "friend" in Academy City. Not much is known about her aside from the fact that she always had top marks at Kirigaoka Girls' Academy, despite never actually being seen by anybody, according to Himegami Aisa, and is referred to as the Key to the Imaginary Number District. She is the conscious form of the aggregation of the AIM Diffusion Fields of espers in Academy City, the Imaginary Number District.

Appearance
Hyouka has long dark brown hair and golden colored eyes. Most of her hair reaches down towards her lower-back, but a part of it is tied off to the side of her head and left hanging down. She wears large glasses that seem to lower itself further down her face. She wears a school-designated blazer and skirt, and accenting these is a red necktie. Later in the novels she gains a blue jacket as part of her winter uniform. She also is characterized by her large breasts.

Personality
She is gentle, quiet and shy. She has a tendency to tear up easily, and is hesitant in approaching people, most especially Kamijou Touma, due to her subconscious fear of his Imagine Breaker. However, she is a caring person and she has shown to be very loyal to her friends, willing to be hated by them in order to protect them.

She has shown tremendous angst towards the fact that she is not human, but is often told by Touma and shown by Index, that they are friends regardless.

Background
It is unknown how exactly on how she was born, but through the manipulations of Aleister Crowley deeming that it would be easier to control the Imaginary Number District if it was a person, he introduced the Imagine Breaker, 10 years ago, when Touma was sent to the city by his father. And from there, Hyouka was born into the City of Shimmers, already having a name, form, and occupation. There, she discovered that the people there, moved and changed according to what she required of them, and became afraid of it, because even though they were not human, they were still alive. Hyouka apparently moved around in a vicinity that was in the coordinates of Kirigaoka Girls' Academy. Noting her brief lapses into the real world, the school created a research facility to investigate her phantom-like existence and her association with the Imaginary Number District. Since she was technically a student of the school, she was always ranked at the very top of the school's rare power rankings. This had go on for years, and all the while Hyouka feared of the burden of power she had over the denizens of the City of Shimmers, and could only obseve the "outside," Academy City.

Kazakiri Hyouka Arc
While wandering around the campus of A Certain Highschool, by the apparent machinations of Aleister Crowley,  Hyouka called out to Index as she was fumbling with a vending machine, believing that she is just a normal student in Academy City and a transfer student to Touma's school. Seeing as she has manifested into the real world, her first action is helping Index take her money back from the vending machine. The two start chatting and Hyouka points out that Index clothes stand out too much for her to stay at the school, so the two of them went to change, but suddenly Touma appears at the "right" time. After Index bites him a few times he gets introduced to Hyouka, who immediately starts acting very timid around him. She later disappears after Tsukuyomi Komoe finds Touma and berates him on missing the entrance ceremony. She reappears again to Index outside, who was waiting for Touma. Here, she makes a point that Touma does not hate Index, and that him being mad at Index is a sign that they are good friends, who don't hide their true feelings from each other. Touma later comes and tells Index that they should go out, and asks if Hyouka, who is frightened of him, if she likes to come, to which she accepts. Later Himegami Aisa comes to Touma, and tells him that she went to the same school as Hyouka, and that she was a top student, but no one ever saw her, so Aisa did some investigation and found out that Hyouka was called Counter Stop and that she is the key of understanding "Imaginary Number District - Five Elements Institution, and that Aisa should be the only transfer student. After eating and having fun with Index and Touma in the Underground Street, to which she reveals that it was her first time doing many things as well as the fact that she describes her fear of Touma as something like "…a woolen sweater with lots of static electricity gathered on it" that she does not dare touch.

They then come upon that a terrorist, or more precisely, a magician is after them, Sherry Cromwell. Trapped inside the Underground Street, Touma decides to fight, while Index tries to dissuade him as it is her duty to face a magician. Hyouka is however unable to say anything as they both argue, even after asking if she could be of any help. After Touma and Index gets into a compromising situation, and Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko arrives. Hyouka could only stand and watch as the Index and Mikoto argue about Touma, and while Kuroko mutter to herself.After some argument, Kuroko teleports Index and Mikoto away as part of her duty as Judgment to evacuate citizens. Touma then leaves Hyouka alone as he hears Anti-Skill battling Sherry Cromwell and her golem, but for some reason, Hyouka follows him and is injured in the head that should be fatal for a human. She discovers, much to her horror, that her head is hollow and that there is a triangular prism inside it. In panic she runs towards Sherry, to which she answers by using Sherry to attack her. Hyouka is battered, but lives and is fine. Still in panic, Hyouka runs away, to which Sherry follows. While Hyouka rests, she recovers, but is then visited by Sherry Cromwell. She tells her that she is a monster, and is similar to that golem of hers. As Hyouka falls into despair, Sherry orders Ellis to put her out of her misery. However, she is saved by the timely arrival of Touma, destroying the golem in the process. Sherry then tries to summon another one. She mocks Hyouka again, saying that there is at least people like Touma in the world that would defend a monster like her. Touma however responds that he is no alone, to which Anti-Skill arrive to repel the golem. Hyouka questions the reason why they are there, Touma then says that he asked them to help him save his friend, Hyouka. They start firing, and protect Touma and Hyouka from shrapnel or debris. The attack chips away the golem, and Sherry is unable to do any movements lest she get hit by the bullets, but uses her magic to make the golem recover. Yomikawa Aiho then asks if Touma is ready with his plan, to which Hyouka asks what he is going to do, to which he says it is to stop the golem. Hyouka pleads to Touma not to do it as he'd never make it, Hyouka tries to reach out to him, but Touma tells her not to touch him, as his right hand will surely destroy her too. However, Touma tells her that just because cannot touch each other, doesn't meant that they could not be friends. Touma tells her that he will be back, and that they could hang out with Index again. With that, the Anti-Skill stop their assault, and Touma charges through, and with a little trouble, manages to punch Sherry, and disable the control of the golem. However, she gets away. After the battle, Touma tells Hyouka on how they are stuck in the underground street, and that it would be a problem as Sherry's target is now Index. Hyouka tells Touma that they should ask Anti-Skill for help, to which Touma says that Index will only get in trouble as she isn't part Academy City. Touma laments on how he is unable to get to Index, or get down to where Sherry is. Hyouka then asks if Touma is really going, to which Touma confirms. Hyouka however, says that it is all right as there is a way to save her without him doing anything, and shows that she herself will save Index, a monster must face a monster after all. Hyouka says that she may not be able to stop the golem, but says that she will use herself as bait for Index to escape. Touma is obviously not fine with this, and calls her out on still saying that she is a monster. Hyouka says that she is fine with being a monster, because it will be the key to saving Index. Despite Touma's remonstrations, Hyouka willingly falls into the hole, and Touma is unable to stop her. Hyouka becomes injured after the fall, but her powers manage to fix her. As she races through deep underground, she begins to recall the true nature of existence in the City of Shimmers. Sherry has apparently sent her golem, Ellis, first, remotely controlling it, allowing Hyouka to pass through. Hyouka arrives just in time after to save Index from the golem, much to her surprise. Hyouka tells Index to run away, as the golem's regeneration goes haywire, making it bigger. Index tells Hyouka to run, but tells Index that she should do so instead, as she needs to fight the monster before them. Index says that she can't fight a monster like that, and that she'd die for sure. However, Hyouka says that it is all right, as she isn't human either, and apologizes to Index for it. With that, the golem attacks, and Hyouka manages to block with it her powers, but her form starts breaking apart. Suddenly, the golem attacks with the use of it's other arm, and if it not for the arrival of Touma, she would've been destroyed. Now with her nice illusion over, Hyouka leaves Index and Touma alone to brood. However, Touma finds her later. And in tears, justifies to Touma of her actions, on how she laments on how she has to lose the things that are dear to her, but then it was necessity for her to do it because her friend was in danger. Touma however, says if she is pain or is sad, then she is not a monster. He tells her that she is indeed human, and that her illusion isn't over yet. And at that point, Index arrives, with a face that looks like she wants to scold Hyouka. She is unbelieving of this, but Touma says that despite of the fact that she is different, she is still Index's friend.

While waiting for Touma in A Certain Hospital, as she dissipates from the world, Index asks if it's because of Touma's power, to which Hyouka explains that it is not Touma's power because if it was, she should have been destroyed long ago as she is an aggregation of all esper's powers, surprising Index as it is not in any of her 103,000 grimoires. Hyouka tells that it is time for her to go, and says to Index that will always be with her even if she doesn't see her. Index says that if they would ever meet again, to which she says that they will.

Academy City Invasion Arc
She appears again in this arc, first materializing in a crowd, though the Anti-Skill who witnessed this assumed this was a hologram.

Later, when Vento of the Front invades Academy City, Crowley activates the "Angel" virus in Last Order to turn her into Fuse Kazakiri to fight her off. For most of her appearance, Hyouka is in the form of Fuse Kazakiri, but is unable to do anything. However, she is completely aware of what's happening, and as Touma tries to fight Vento of the Front, she helps him using her powers in order to protect the civilians. Touma thanks Hyouka for her help, and tells her that Index will definitely save her. Index later comes upon Last Order, and sings a song that unbinds her as the core that controls Hyouka's form as Fuse Kazakiri. After  Hyouka comes back to her senses, she laments on how much destruction she has wrought, and that she truly is a monster. She asks to be destroyed by Touma's right hand, but Touma says he would rather cut his hand off than use it to make any of his friends disappear. Touma says that Hyouka protected everyone, something he could have not possibly done. He tells her that she should be proud of herself. Touma says however that they should at least check if anyone needs treatment, but Touma then says that afterwards since he doesn't know when she'll disappear, but they should at least meet up with Index before that. It is because they are friends.

British Royal Family Arc
While Misaka Mikoto is in a family restaurant, she apparently notices, among other large breasted women in the city, Kazakiri Hyouka by the window.

World War III Arc
Aiwass talks with Kazakiri Hyouka, telling her that Archangel Gabriel, or a better description is 'Misha Kreuzhev' due to a mix-up in essence, is going to descend soon and then there will be many innocents dead, and Kazakiri should go and restrain Misha. Aiwass doesn't feel like going himself since that's no fun. Aiwass says himself can control the Misaka Network even without Last Order, since the SISTER clones have agreed to help, and he can expand the AIM field in Academy City all the way into Russia. Kazakiri agrees on one condition, that is for Aiwass to not go after Index. Aiwass replies Index will only be targeted if she interests him. Kazakiri then said if Aiwass does go after Index then she'll stop him, even if it means destroying them both. Aiwass smiled and then called her threat naive, since that statement just might perk his interest.

The battlefront between Russia and Academy City sees Fuse Kazakiri flies past them, holding a sword of light that is filled with her will to fight. From her eyes it can be seen Hyouka in the 'Fuse Kazakiri' mode is conscious and in full control, as opposed to the last time under the programming of the virus.

Kazakiri eventually fights 'Misha Kreuzhev' head on, though she cannot defeat Misha. Accelerator cuts into their fight, and after Acqua of the Back drained half of Misha's Telesma, along with Touma destroying the artifacts that anchor Misha's existence to the human plane, the two of them can finally start to wound Misha.

As Fiamma is about to implode the gathered Telesma on the Star of Bethlehem, Kazakiri was forcibly returned to Academy City somehow. Before Kazakiri disappeared she told Accelerator of a way to use Index's song that erased the 'ANGEL' virus from Last Order's brain, and Accelerator is then able to modify the song into a cure for Last Order.

After World War 3 is over, Kazakiri confronted Aiwass; she warned Aiwass that if it continues to toy with humans one day it might be destroyed by them. Aiwass merely replied that if the frail humans can one day reach their level then that would be interesting.

Homecoming Arc
After Touma becomes drunk at the advice of Hamazura Shiage, he winds up gathering a whole of bunch of girls, one of which is Hyouka, who tells him that he should of have told her if he was coming back. She and the rest of the girls, are later turned from away from Touma's dorm room by Leivinia Birdway's men.

Abilities
Her ability is Counter Stop (正体不明 (カウンターストップ) ), but is most likely just a reference to her phantom-like appearance. Details about her level are unknown, but it was mentioned that she was among the top psychics at the Kirigaoka Academy for Girls, though the academy ranks the students on their ability's rarity rather than how powerful they are. It is later revealed that she is not a human at all, but instead an amalgamation of the psychic's AIM with a consciousness. The nature of her being leads her to be indestructible, as she can recreate any damage done to her body and lift objects several times her own weight. That said, Touma fears that just like any paranormal phenomenon, she would be instantaneously destroyed regardless if his right hand ever comes in contact with Hyouka, but nevertheless warmly tells her "Even though we may never touch each other, we will always be friends."

When not physically manifested, she exists in a realm she calls 'The City of Shimmers', a warped shadow of Academy City. This place is also called 'District' $$i$$ (or the Imaginary Number District). Aleister Crowley says Kazakiri, along with Last Order and Accelerator are all part of his 'Key' to the completion of Artificial Heaven.

Fuse Kazakiri
Fuse Kazakiri (ヒューズ＝カザキリ) is Kazakiri Hyouka in "artificial angel mode". In this mode Hyouka acquires several pin shaped wings, whose total lengths vary from 10 meters to 100 meters, and a halo around 50 centimeters in diameter. On the exterior of the halo are pencil-like rods that appear infinitely, they seem to appear and disappear at a rapid pace. In this form, she is referred to as Fuse Kazakiri. According to Vento of the Front, in Christianity, terms like 'Fuse Kazakiri' bears similar meaning to a 'Fallen Angel' that has turned away from God, and is the most abominable being that can exist.

Fuse Kazakiri is created with the input of a code (virus) in Last Order, which Academy City named 'ANGEL'. When the code is active the SISTER clones are physically immobilized. Later in Volume 20 Aiwass allowed Hyouka to go into this mode without the 'ANGEL' code, by asking the SISTER clones for assistance.

While in this form, Kazakiri has demonstrated she can fire a beam-like attack that can reach up to several tens of Kilometers, and put up a force field around people to protect them from all harm. In volume 20 she can fly at several times the speed of sound, and summon a sword made of pure energy at will, fueled by her determination to help Index.

It is later revealed that Fuse Kazakiri was simply used as the model in order for Aiwass to take form into the world.

Toaru Majutsu no Index: Love Letter Competition
As Tsuchimikado Maika and Tsuchimikado Motoharu argue about the Kumokawa Seria's love letter for Touma that had flown into their possession, it later flies away from them and it ends up with Hyouka, who goes to Touma's dorm room and drops it in his mail window.

Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index SS
Hyouka appears before Index during her day out to find Touma a present using the money he gave her. Here, Hyouka acts a minder, preventing Index from buying things that are only because of her desires, like a large order of taiyaki. They later find a girl accidentally break a bottle, which Index notices has hidden hieroglyphics on it. As the cleaning robot appears to clean the mess, Index notes on how Academy City is like a labyrinth, seeing as she's seen another reference to Egypt on that day.

Hyouka later disappears as Index meets up with Tsuchimikado Maika.

Toaru Majutsu no Index-tan
In the second episode, only Hyouka's voice is heard, as she and Index are in a photobooth, humming an incomprehensible tune that Touma comments must be for them to go around the copyrights.

Toaru Majutsu no Index (PSP game)
Kazakiri Hyouka is one of the secret characters within the PSP game, in which she'll fight using the abilities from her Fuse Kazakiri form. She is the final opponent for Misha Kreutzev and Mugino Shizuri route. In Misaka Mikoto's route, she appears and calls Touma an important person for her, as Mikoto gives chase to him.

Dengeki Gakuen RPG: Cross of Venus
Aleister Crowley is a hidden boss fight within Cross Venus, and his most powerful attack will involve summoning Fuse Kazakiri and forcing her to rain AIM energy lightings unto the player.

Design evolution
Haimura restrained himself during his designing of Hyouka, as she was a standard moe girl, he had no other additions to her. Hyouka in her first draft had a much more prominent forehead and thinner hair. Her trademark sidetail was added for an idea came to Haimura regarding her connection to the Imaginary Number District, likening her hair as a LAN Cable and her glasses as a monitor.

Her Fuse Kazakiri design was somewhat based on Archangel Gabriel, though Haimura had other thoughts in mind for her, wanting to make her look scary. By volume 21-22, Hyouka required a dramatic change in color design, though she retains her overall look.

Trivia

 * The term "counter stop" is a Japanese term used in computer and arcade games for a value programmed as a maximum limit value like a player's total score. The counter stop value exists primarily to avoid further incrementation of a value beyond the specifications given, and is used to prevent an from happening.
 * Index refers to Hyouka as "her first friend" in Academy City, as in the first friend that Index made by herself, instead of having been introduced by Touma (such as the cases of Himegami Aisa and Tsuchimikado Maika).
 * She instinctively fears Touma. Tsuchimikado points out to Aleister that this might stem from Hyouka's "fear of dying" when being close to the Imagine Breaker. This is also the basis of her "birth", as if something does not fear death, it cannot comprehend the concept of "being alive".

Quotes

 * (To Index, from Volume 6) "Friends that are able to fight with each other are the ones that are really close."
 * (To Index about Touma, from Volume 6) "...Though he's also the kind of guy who speaks to you with a straight face even when you're naked..."
 * (To Touma, from Volume 6) "I will use my power to protect those I cherish."
 * (From Volume 6 on the Imaginary Number District) "I am the spring force in a clockwork. I breathe life into this clockwork of a society,"
 * (From Volume 6) "Those who fight monsters... must also be monsters!"
 * (To Index, from Volume 6) "Even if you can't tell... I will always be by your side."
 * (To Touma, from Volume 13) "Why did this all this happen? It's all my fault. Why am I only one unharmed? If I can't be with everyone, why I was born? I'm just a monster that can only exist thanks to all the espers. Even though she called me a friend... Even though I thought I'd become a little more human... I'm sick of its all! Please punch me and end it all!"