Aureolus Izzard

Aureolus Izzard (アウレオルス＝イザード) is a character from Toaru Majutsu no Index series and is the main antagonist of the second arc of the story line (anime and light novels). He is a powerful magician and alchemist, he perfected his alchemy to the state where his thoughts are turned into reality which is called Ars Magna.

Background
He is a descendant of Paracelsus who is a famous alchemist. Aureolus' name maybe derived from Paracelsus' the second name of his full name, which is Phillippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim. Aureolus somehow decided to follow the follow his ancestor's footsteps and become an alchemist, and studied in a Zurich school for alchemy. Aureolus' eventually succeeded in perfecting his alchemy, creating his great work, Ars Magna.

He was a member of the Roman Catholic Church and was the partner of Index three years prior to the start of the Toaru Majutsu no Index timeline. However he soon discovered that his partner needed her memories to be erased in order for her to survive (which is a complete fabrication). Because of this all the memories Index had with Aureolus have been erased, it is unknown as to what relationship Aurelous had with Index before her memory erasure, although it is quite apparent that he truly cared for Index as is the main reason for why he was the antagonist of the second arc of the series.

At some point in time he defected from the Roman Catholic Church, and became their enemy and was continually hunted down by the elite Thirteen Knights of the Roman Catholic Church as he possessed great powers that church see as a threat.

He later meets Himegami Aisa, being aware of her ability, Deep Blood and her suffering because of it, offers her a proposition for him to use her and her ability to lure vampires as to help Index. It was apparent to Aisa that he was being sincere in his proposition. Later on he takes over Misawa Cram School as a staging point for his plan and brainwashes the school body to his whim and made them able to use an albeit limited magic, using a replica of Grigorio's Chant.

Appearance
His face is stern looking and very distinguished, which is complemented by the way he dresses, wearing a white suit over a blue dress shirt and wearing a light-pinkish tie, but his most striking feature is his green hair that is neatly combed. His hair was stated to be dyed green to better control the power green symbolises - the Earth element and alchemy that's classed under the Earth element. This is the same logic why Terra of the Left is wearing a green robe.

Personality
He has serious air surrounding, being as his Ars Magna requires concentration for it to properly work this is justified, he is also smug enough to gloat lightly and underestimate his opponents, once again because he has the power of Ars Magna. He has a caring side to him, which he shows only to Index.

He has also casual disregard for the well-being and lives of other people around him, as he brainwashed the student body of Misawa Cram School to be able to use magic even though it is harmful to them. The worst example of this nature is that he blew Stiyl Magnus from the inside out, to the point where Touma describes it as seeing a Human anatomy exhibit in a museum where one walks inside the human body, since the blood and muscles were scatter all over the ceiling, all connected to the heart and still pumping blood throughout the veins.

Himegami Aisa: Deep Blood
He appears in the second story arc of the anime and light novels, here he has gained control of Misawa Cram School and Himegami Aisa where he uses it as a staging point for his plans. He is attacked by the Thirteen Knights of the Roman Catholic Church which he defeats handily.

However he is confronted by both Stiyl Magnus of Necessarius and Kamijou Touma, wanting to retrieve Himegami Aisa and stop his control over the school. With the power of his Ars Magna he made them both lose their memories as to what transpired within the school, however this is foiled by Touma and his Imagine Breaker. In a strange twist of fate, Index appears before Aureolus having wandered out to look for Touma, when they meet Index is unaware of who he is, their reunion is cut-short by the remaining Thirteen Knights of the Roman Catholic Church using the true Grigorio's Chant to raze the school, however it is also stopped and actually reversed by Aureolus.

Touma and Stiyl confronts Aureolus about his plans, he states that he is using Aisa to attract vampires so he can either make them tell on how to make her immortal or turn her to a vampire, the reason being as so she need not have her memories erased and her life threatened. His plans comes to a halt when Stiyl points out to him that Touma has already achieved in saving Index, which infuriates Aureolus, he attacks and kills Aisa as she has become useless to him but is saved by Touma using his Imagine Breaker.

Touma does battle with Aureolus, in which he succeeds in countering everything Aureolus throws at him. In the midst of battle Stiyl comments on how his Ars Magna can distort reality and can do anything, he proceeds to ask him why he went to the tedious process in obtaining a vampire using Deep Blood, if he can simply wish for one, this anger Aureolus which makes him turn Stiyl inside-out, and still manages to keep Stiyl alive despite that. He continues his battle with Touma and cuts off his right arm to disable his Imagine Breaker, however this backfires as Touma is seen walking and shrugging off the pain of losing an arm, explained in the light novel as Stiyl still being capable of casting spells in his condition, and made mirages to make it appears the attacks have missed Touma, planting the seeds of doubt for Aureolus' downfall. Aureolus continues retaliating but Touma negates every attack he uses. Eventually Aureolus cowers in fear of him, because Ars Magna makes one's thoughts into reality he makes Stiyl come alive and imagines Touma as a monster, this comes true and Touma attacks him and thus Aureolus is defeated by because of his own powers.

However, there is a chance the dragon head that came out of Touma is not entirely Aureolus' imagination, as in the last chapter of Vol.2 Touma wondered would Aureolus really have a wild imagination that specifically imagines 'a ethereal dragon's head will come out of his severed arm'? Touma then thought the chances are tiny, but there may still be a chance that this dragon may not be entirely be Ars Magna's creation.

Aftermath
Stiyl Magnus allowed him to live, however he changed Aureolus' appearance and modified his memories before releasing him as to keep the Roman Catholic Church from pursuing him, his current whereabouts and form are unknown. It is unknown whether Stiyl did this under orders or of his own will, as in the light novel Stiyl only told Touma he 'killed' Aureolus, that by erasing his memories and changing his appearances the person known as Aureolus is practically dead.

Abilities
His sorcery name is Honos628, "To honour our world". He has powerful form of alchemy known as Ars Magna, which allows him to think of anything and make it into reality, however he requires great concentration for it to properly work or else it may cause considerable unwanted effects, because of this he uses needles to stab himself with in the neck as to allow him to concentrate. It has been stated in the Light Novel the needles he uses are acupuncture needles.

He was also said to be a Magic author capable of writing orginal grimoires. His job is to input 'vaccines' to make the grimoire destroy themselves, when he worked with the Roman Catholic Church.