Frenda Seivelun

Frenda Seivelun (フレンダ＝セイヴェルン) is a character introduced in Toaru Majutsu no Index. Originally a minor character used to expand the growing mental breakdown of Mugino Shizuri and the destruction of the first incarnation of ITEM due to her betrayal, Frenda's character is later expanded in her appearance in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun.

An operative of the Academy City-based underground team called ITEM, she is one of the main combatants of the team, having incredible prowess in close-quarters combat, as well as expertise in traps and concealed weaponry. Her full name is revealed to be Frenda Seivelun, upon the introduction of her little sister by the name of Fremea Seivelun.

Appearance
She is a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She is most often depicted with a black sailor top and a pleated skirt. She also wears a pair of pumps and dark-colored pantyhose. A dark-colored beret adorns her head.

Yumiya Rakko estimated her height to be 155 cm. It is unknown whether Rakko's estimates were completely accurate.

Personality
She and ITEM's leader Mugino Shizuri have a sort of a master-servant relationship, with Frenda usually being scolded for her fits of unprofessionalism at work. Out of combat, she seems to enjoy talking about ordinary things that girls her age would talk about; she also values her legs highly, saying that it is her pride as a woman. In battle, though, her moves can be difficult to read as her humorous remarks often serve as a diversion; this in turn, combined with her cunning style of combat, can prove to be a deadly combination. She is also somewhat vicious and possesses a blood-thirsty nature, indicating that she enjoys taking away the life of someone as if she was destined to end them.

However, Frenda has a softer side that she keeps hidden from the dark side and the normal world and that she truly she cares for people she is acquainted with. She is apparently very amicable, having many connections, and is referred to by Shiage as the most well-connected member of ITEM, knowing thousands of people, including people not part of the Dark Side of Academy City. Indeed, she has prepared several birthday presents for her many acquaintances. Frenda apparently also has a positive relationship with her younger sister, Fremea, shown when the latter lamented for Frenda, knowing that she is dead. In the end, Frenda has multiple facets to her, having no remorse to those she kills and willing to betray her comrades to save her own skin, being described as a kind of selfish and convenient person. But she also truly cared for her friends and was also a girl who did things that any normal girl of her age would do, and the other sides of her personality does not invalidate any of the others.

Frenda is also suspicious of drugs, and is unwilling to use medicine when she was sick..

She has the habit of often using the term "Kekkyoku," which can be translated as "Basically", "In the end" or "All told" in her speech. Her younger sister also has a similar trait.

Background
Frenda is shrouded in mystery. However, there are a few things that are known about her. She is of Norwegian descent.

She has a hideout in the Dianoid where she keeps the softer side of her personality hidden, and has referenced it to ITEM and even Kanou Shinka. She is friends with Shinka and is one of the many she has prepared gifts for. Her relationship with Shinka is like that of an older sister with a younger brother, with Frenda continuously allaying him of his insecurities as a crybaby or weakling.

Her sister is Fremea Seivelun, whom the members of ITEM didn't even know about prior to her death.

Battle Royale Arc
Prior to the start of the events of October 9, she participated in the killing of SCHOOL's sniper, though they were unconcerned on why they targeted Oyafune Monaka in the first place. She first debuts along with all the other members of ITEM immediately after the assassination attempt on Monaka's life by SCHOOL in a family restaurant. Apparently having trouble with a can, she uses the tools that are used in blowing up a door's lock to open it. She complains about the contents of the can, being canned mackerel, as she is getting tired of the taste, she then states that she wants curry. After Hamazura Shiage mulled on the uneven male to female ratio as well as Mugino finishing her lunch, Mugino begins saying how before noon, someone attempted to assassinate Monaka. Mugino states that the higher-ups want to them to take action regarding that. Frenda comments on that she doesn't have information on that. Hearing this, Mugino orders Shiage to send the details of the incident to everyone's cellphone. With a halfhearted response, Shiage does so, though he accidentally sends a pornographic video (likely related to bunny girls) he downloaded from the Internet. When the ITEM members see this, all of four snapped their cellphones shut and looked at him with scorn. Shiage tries to amend his mistake by trying to send the information again, but he, however, is chastised by them. Mugino is lost in words, only being able to say his name. Frenda says that he is disgusting. Kinuhata Saiai asks if Shiage likes bunny girls. Finally, Rikou says that she is rooting for him. Trembling at their words, he makes sure that the information is sent to all of them.

Their conversation begins with Kinuhata Saiai pointing out on how she was sure that they took out SCHOOL's sniper three days before. Mugino Shizuri says that SCHOOL likely hired a new one and ignored their "warning". Frenda states that back then they didn't debate why they were targeting Monaka, but realizes that there must be something up if they still wanted to assassinate her despite her low value even amongst the Board of Directors. Takitsubo Rikou adds to Frenda's conclusion, repeating what Mugino says. As Mugino tries to think of the reason why SCHOOL went out of their way to try in killing Monaka again despite her low value, she asks for Shiage's opinion. Shiage tries to give an answer but his response didn't actually have anything in it. Disappointing everyone, with both Frenda and Saiai calling him disgusting, while Rikou says she'll root for him even everyone else is calling him disgusting. With this disappointment, Shiage kneels on the ground and is promptly ignored. Mugino goes back on topic and proposes that SCHOOL targeted Monaka because there's no value in killing her. Saiai is confused, to which Mugino says that SCHOOL probably didn't care who it was as long as it caused a disturbance, choosing a VIP whose death wouldn't have much of an effect and didn't have strong security. Frenda then states that she feels sorry for Monaka. Feeling proud, Mugino gives her hypothesis on what SCHOOL is after, starting on how if a VIP of Academy City is in danger, people are called in from all sorts of places. She says that roads are blocked off in order for ambulances to travel on as well as important people from various medical industries gather at the hospital for them. Saying this, Mugino asks what would happen if someone attempted to assassinate a VIP, and she answers on how people will be called in to protect the facility where the VIP will undergo treatment. Mugino concludes that SCHOOL will do something amidst the confusion. Saiai states that their methods are boring. Mugino then speculates on what the facility they would be targeting after the creating the commotion. Frenda concludes that Monaka was just SCHOOL's insurance for their plan to be in order and that they are still planning on attacking their real target, to which Mugino agrees. Shiage then speaks up again, asking if what SCHOOL did was really an attempted assassination. Mugino says it probably didn't matter as Monaka may be revived by Academy City's mysterious technology even if she died. Mugino then orders that they need to find the facilities that have insufficient security due to the assassination attempt. She then adds that they also need to see what has changed had the assassination been successful, stating that SCHOOL may have made a situation where they could move whether the sniper succeeded or not, indicating that there might be a facility that has its security reduced regardless as it may be where SCHOOL is headed. She then orders Shiage to find a car for them as they may be heading out soon. Shiage becomes irritated on how Mugino said her orders, but he is forced to acquiesce. However, Shiage complains about how he was once the leader of over 100 Skill-Out, to which Mugino says that it is true though she doesn't his point. Shiage then leaves to find a car with a heavy heart.

After Mugino's argument with the ITEM liaison regarding their next job, to which she later approves after seeing that they are after SCHOOL, the girls get on the car Shiage had just stolen for them, impressing Mugino. Shiage asks where they are going, to which Mugino states that they'll be going to Kirigaoka Girls' Academy in School District 18 as there is a particle engineering laboratory nearby that she believes is SCHOOL's target as the place has become disrupted after the assassination attempt on Oyafune Monaka. Mugino mentions that there are multiple places that she suspected but states that the particle engineering laboratory. Hearing this, Shiage asks what they are after there, though Mugino says that she doesn't know, but says that it is better than dealing with the whole Oyafune Monaka thing. Shiage then starts the car. Rikou then asks if Shiage has a license, to which he responds by saying that he doesn't need a card to drive, only skills. He then drives ITEM with the automatic transmission car.

Mugino chose wisely as they later find SCHOOL and its leader Kakine Teitoku there, resulting in a battle. Despite the Boy with goggles being killed in the skirmish SCHOOL still retrieves the Tweezers from the facility, their goal for infiltrating the facility in the first place, and later decides to flee instead of continuing the battle. In the haste of trying to chase after SCHOOL, Kinuhata Saiai and Frenda are left behind in the facility.

What occurs next is a mystery, but apparently, SCHOOL comes upon Frenda by herself. Here, she is questioned regarding ITEM's whereabouts and on how they were able to track them down. According to Mugino, Frenda was afraid of SCHOOL, and as such betrayed that knowledge of ITEM hiding out in a room in the Private Salon as well as Takitsubo Rikou having AIM Stalker with the promise that SCHOOL will let her go unharmed. It is likely that Kakine was present in the interrogation. Later, Frenda goes into hiding, though a place not secret enough for Mugino to find.

After Mugino escaped Kakine during SCHOOL's attack on ITEM in the Private Salon, Mugino either somehow discovered that Frenda betrayed them or came to the conclusion that only Frenda could've betrayed their location herself. She goes on a solitary manhunt for Frenda, already deep in her desire for vengeance against SCHOOL. Mugino later finds and executes Frenda, cutting her in half at the waist with her Meltdowner ability.

Mugino later carries the upper half of Frenda's corpse after "purging" her from ITEM. She later lets go of her corpse as she confronts Shiage. It is unknown what the fate of Frenda's corpse was, though it is likely that it was later disposed of by ITEM's subordinate organization.

World War III Arc
Frenda's death at the hands of Mugino permanently scarred the Rank 4 Level 5, although the effects were not evident until her encounter with Hamazura Shiage in Russia. In spite of her unstable mental condition, Mugino admits that she regrets having murdered Frenda and wishes to reunite the members of ITEM after what happened in the past.

Freshmen Arc
Mugino Shizuri later visits Frenda's grave in School District 10, while the other members of ITEM wait for her. Due to the narration regarding the fate of the bodies of those who have died and are in the Dark Side of Academy City, it is likely Frenda's grave does not even contain her ashes.

Homecoming Arc
Mugino arrives at the Kamijou Residence trying to look for Shiage since the last arc and later finds Fremea Seivelun there with him. She believes her to be Frenda's ghost at first. Shiage tries to introduce her to Mugino but then realizes that he has forgotten that Mugino was the one who killed her sister. Unable to find the words to say to Fremea, Mugino does it for him, she bluntly says to Fremea that she is the girl who killed her. In anger, Shiage chastises Mugino and tries to move her away, though is completely outclassed by her. With a bit of a distance from Fremea, Shiage berates Mugino for her lack of subtlety, to which Mugino simply says that she came clean. Shiage says that is something not to be proud of. His lecture, however, is interrupted by Fremea looking towards them and tells her that he will say something to fool her, saying that Mugino shouldn't do anything to make the situation even more complicated.

Ichihanaran Festival Arc
After Kakine Teitoku is released by Kihara Yuiitsu to go mad in the City, a being that sounds and looks like Frenda appears before Mugino after she goes out to get some water bottles. Here, the Frenda-being tells Mugino that she is different from the last time she saw her and that despite her coming to terms with her death, it doesn't mean that her anger should disappear.

Despite the person's inane mind games and guilt-tripping, Mugino defends herself and easily defeats her attacker, reasoning that her electronic eye was tampered with to make her see her attacker as Frenda. Saiai arrives and confirms that the attacker was a middle-aged man wearing Frenda's clothes. Mugino then mutilates the man utterly into a broken ruin but keeps him alive as an example to what she had said. She and Saiai later dragged his ruined body before a strange research facility, and tell each other to keep the incident a secret from Shiage.

Mugino later appears before Kakine Teitoku himself, and suspects him for the reason behind the Frenda impersonator, as he was the biggest factor from the dark side of Academy City active at that time and the interest in playing with the dead was the same. She tells him that she doesn't know what his purpose was with what he did, and tells him that she will make him pay for disturbing her grave.

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, all of ITEM are alive and well. They are first seen after Touma's heart has finally broken and has decided to kill himself in order to preserve the broken world. Here, they are in a family restaurant, with Frenda arguing with Mugino regarding her preference with the salmon bento, forcing Mugino to fire back with a criticism regarding Frenda's preference for canned foods. Saiai comments on how both of them are focused on seafood and that they should make their characters more distinct. Rikou then comments on how they get along surprisingly well. Then Hamazura Shiage, Hattori Hanzou, Komaba Ritoku, and Fremea Seivelun comes along into the restaurant. They are late as Hanzou took them to a shortcut. Saiai asks why they are late and why their efficiency is dropping as they gained more subordinates. Shiage blames Hanzou for the shortcut they took, but Hanzou says it is because Ritoku could not leave a vending machine with a roulette alone. Frenda wonders how Fremea could be so attached to a macho man like him.

Level Upper Arc
She and her teammates are first seen during the climax of the Level Upper Arc. They are in Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant arguing whether or not they should go into a public or private pool since it is summer. They later hear the Level Upper treatment program on the P.A. System, unaware of what's exactly going on and waking up Takitsubo Rikou. In the anime adaptation, their conversation is complete cut-out, only leaving them being reacting to the noise being played all over Academy City.

Sisters Arc
Frenda and ITEM reappear during a string of attacks by Misaka Mikoto on research facilities related to the Level 6 Shift, when Mugino receives a call that they are to protect a medical facility. Frenda is sent to guard a facility that is one of Mikoto's targets while Mugino and the others are in another facility. The facility that Frenda is in gets attacked by Mikoto.

Frenda uses her white tape to destroy various objects in the facility as well as the dolls with bombs inside them to attack Mikoto, though Mikoto is first caught off-guard, her superior mastery and power over electromagnetism surprises even Frenda. However, Frenda soon lures Mikoto into an enclosed space. Frenda entraps Mikoto and uses her traps and weapons to attack her, but her efforts are later overwhelmed by Mikoto's powers. Seeing this, she blinds and deafens Mikoto with a stun grenade, and attacks her with missiles, knowing full well that the Electromaster's disability will only be temporary; but even then, Mikoto was able to dodge them easily due to her sensing the surroundings and using her power to escape. In response, Frenda attempts to befuddle Mikoto with indiscernible words, using the latter's confusion as an opportunity to toss a vial containing some chemical at Mikoto, who shoots it with lightning, resulting in an explosion. Frenda then bluffs her way into making Mikoto not use her powers, by releasing a fake chemical from the surrounding pipes to engulf their vicinity, and lying that it would explode like the vial if she uses her powers.

This forces Mikoto to a close-combat situation and is nearly overpowered by Frenda's superior fighting skills. Frenda however, angered Mikoto with her taunts, and retaliated by putting Frenda in an arm-lock from behind, and though this was easily countered by Frenda with a shoulder throw that threw Mikoto off, Frenda slips up as one of her electronic devices sparks one of the white tapes, making it explode, without igniting the surrounding gas around them; because of this Mikoto realizes Frenda's deceit and subdues. While trying to interrogate Frenda, Mugino arrives and rescues Frenda. Mikoto retreats after seeing the sheer force of Mugino's powers, as well as the involvement of Takitsubo Rikou, who consumes Body Crystal to track down Mikoto's AIM Field which enables Frenda and Mugino to attack Mikoto after Rikou pinpoints her location. Both, Frenda and Rikou are later ordered to pull back after Mugino realized she was fighting Mikoto, wanting to take her one-on-one. Back in their headquarters, Frenda converses with Rikou and shows her concern over her using her powers, and later wishes Rikou to find another place she will belong to, after Rikou replies that ITEM is the only place for her. Frenda later gets nervous after realizing that she forgot to collect her bombs, she is later told by Kinuhata Saiai that Frenda should prepare for punishment from Mugino, after talking to her on the phone after Mugino becomes inconvenienced by Frenda's irresponsibility. It is presumed that Frenda gets punished after this arc, as Mugino not only become inconvenienced by Mikoto using Frenda's bombs but also losing to Mikoto after using Frenda's white tape.

Silent Party Arc
In the anime original arc, they are hired by STUDY under false pretenses, being used as test subjects for their Powered Suits controlled by Diffusion Ghost. For that they desire vengeance for their reputation in the dark side of Academy City. The ITEM liaison gives them information on one of STUDY's factories, destroying several Powered Suits there. They are later present during the Silent Party, taking down several Powered Suits in a stadium, and inadvertently aiding Misaka Mikoto.

Frenda briefly reappears on September 2, while relaxing in ITEM’s private swimming pool together with the other core members of the organization.

Daihasei Festival Arc (Railgun)
As the opening day of the Daihaseisai was approaching, the committee tasked with gathering the seven Level 5s of Academy City contacted Mugino Shizuri while she and the other members of ITEM, Frenda included, were relaxing in an indoor resort.

Abilities
Contradictory information is present between Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S and its supplementary material. She is listed, albeit discreetly, as a Level 4 esper in an episode. However, in one of the DVD and Blu-ray booklets, her level and ability is not listed and she is specifically stated as "the only member of ITEM who fights without using an esper power." The manga and novels make no reference to her abilities at all. It was later confirmed by Railgun manga editor Ogino Kentarou that Frenda is Level 0.

Other abilities
She proves to be skilled in close combat and is proficient in using an array of concealed weapons.

Upon her encounter with Mikoto, she makes use of electrical igniters and strips of a tape-like explosive to create fuses that can cut through various objects. She also connects fuses to dolls stuffed with explosives. In fact, this array of traps for Mikoto is a pre-planned trap Frenda set up throughout the facility, which transforms the area into a battlefield where she gains an upper hand almost at the first moment the fight begins. She normally uses remote-controlled bombs, but she chose to not prepare them against an electromaster like Mikoto in case they would be used against her.

She is also somehow able to conceal missiles in her skirt, possesses a perfume bottle of a vaporous, breathable Academy City-made explosive known as Ignis, and has a hidden stiletto in her left shoe. Unfortunately, she is prone to losing her focus in battle when she has the advantage, and she even admits that she underestimated Mikoto when the Level 5 Electromaster uses her electricity against a powerful insulator of electricity, ceramic. She also has decent chemistry skills, which she apparently uses for her explosives.

Design Evolution
Appearing only in a single volume, Haimura Kiyotaka designed Frenda to be a simple moe character, and used her and the entirety of ITEM as a light contrast to the dark premise of volume 15, up until much later when ITEM becomes more involved with the plot. According to Kamachi, he had Haimura deliberately design Frenda as extremely cute in order for the audience not to peg her as someone who would die easily in her debut.

Quotes

 * (Railgun manga vol. 5) "Nishishishi~ ♪"
 * (Railgun manga vol. 5) "M-Mugino hugs a beat up old plush doll or she can't sleep!"
 * (Fighting against Mikoto Railgun manga vol. 5) "I said earlier that the target's life is of no interest, but I get a special feeling whenever I end them. That instant when you pluck a life, it feels like I've conquered their destiny. In the end...It's like they were born just to be killed by me."
 * (After Shiage accidentally shows her a porn video, vol. 15) “In the end, you’re disgusting, Hamazura”.
 * (Birthday message to Kanou Shinka, from NT Index volume 12) "Your tears are like a safety lock from your common sense. They’ll make sure you don’t stray from the proper path no matter how unreasonable the obstacle. That’s something I don’t have, so I respect you for having something I could never reach! There are so, so, so many people that will end up doing awful things so easily, but your strength will never allow that. So be proud. In the end, you can be proud of having the strength to cry and forgive anything!!"
 * (Railgun manga chapter 83) "Ha det bra!"

Trivia

 * Because of her tragic fate, Frenda is usually referred to by fans of the Light Novels as Fre nda (or フレ ンダ in Japanese), with the deliberate space dividing her name in two. It acts as a joking reference for her death in the hands of Mugino Shizuri, who used her Meltdowner ability to slice Frenda in two by the waist.
 * Both the anime and the manga continue to reference the character's fate in the Sisters arc during her fight with Misaka Mikoto. Frenda comments both on nearly losing the lower half of her body to her own trap as well as the importance of preserving her legs. Also, when Mikoto numbed her tongue with electricity, which prevented her from selling out her team members, which she was perfectly willing to do. When she succeeds in doing just that in the Battle Royal Arc, Mugino hunts her down for betraying them. In her last appearance of the final episode of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S there is a contrail line passing over her waist.