Kanzaki Kaori

Kanzaki Kaori (神裂 火織) is an eighteen-year old character introduced in Toaru Majutsu no Index. Originally a magician affiliated with the Amakusa Catholics, she rejected them and eventually joined Necessarius where she meets Index and Stiyl Magnus and becomes friend with them. She is a saint and is currently one of the most formidable magicians in the series, and is the first person to have defeated Kamijou Touma in battle.

Though rejecting the Amakusa Catholics, she still feels a sort of longing for them, she eventually returns to the Amakusa Catholics (which is now a part of Necessarius) and became it's leader once again.

Background
She was tremendously blessed as a child, being a saint, she was chosen to be the top of the Amakusa Catholics since birth. Not only is Kaori a skilled swordsman, but she is a Catholic Saint possessing the "Stigma", the ability to call upon God's power and the former leader of the Amakusa Catholics; however, Kaori left the group as she resented that she had been fated since birth to become its leader, which led her to despise the concept of luck and fortune as her fortune in turn only bring misery to those around her from what she can see, as it has been mentioned in the novels she no longer wants to see innocent people rushing to protect her, dying in the process, and saying with their last breath that it's alright as long as she's fine. She later defects from the Amakusa Catholics to Necessarius and meets Index and Stiyl, where they become friends and knows fully that Index is the holder of the 103,000 grimoires.

She is later told by the church that Index needed her memories erased once a year, since her mind has been overloaded by too much information since she only has 15% of the brain left for the rest of it's functions. Both Kaori and Stiyl is later forced to erase Index's memories, weeping by her side. Even then, both of them tried to create new memories with Index, but later grew weary of the process of trying to make new memories with her and the fact that Index was often pained when she realized that she would forget them again, because of this they gave up, and allowed Index to believe that they were enemies of hers and was after the grimoires.

They are later on Index's trail when she came to Academy City.

Appearance
She's a rather tall woman with long black hair tied up in a ponytail with a length that reaches her hips and has a nicely shaped body. One can easily associate her white skin with that of a princess. Wears a short T-shirt with a knot-tied at the bottom, revealing her navel; a pair of jeans below with one side sawed off, revealing her thigh. Because the T-shirt is tied down, her breasts are much more noticeable. One can see her snowy white leg, from the thigh all the way down. She uses a two-meter-long nodachi called "Seven Heavens Seven Swords" as her weapon.

She sports a denim jacket over her usual attire in later novels.

Personality
When she was young she was destined to be the High Priestess and leader of the Amakusa Catholics and was to be protected at all cost. Due to this she believed they were suffering because of her. Later she travels to England where she befriends a young Index and Stiyl. She grew attached to Index and loved her as a sister. But when it came to the memory wiping Index did not see her as the friend she was, which made her into a cold and silent woman. But after finding out the truth about the memory wiping she and Stiyl decide to leave her alone. Her personality gradually changes showing a kinder side to herself and others after Tōma saves Index and helps to confront her past with the Amakusa Catholics, feeling more comfortable and grateful to Touma becoming more prone to showing emotion and sometimes showing a little embarrassment if she is with him, having awkward interactions from her trying to thank Touma for saving the members of the Amakusa Church on various occasions and Tsuchimikado Motoharu's attempts to encourage Kaori into various cosplay gear.

It is an alternate interpretations if whether Kanzaki getting nervous when she's around Touma is due to a crush or just being nervous due to being indebted to him for saving the Amakusa people many times.

Index and the Church of the Necessary Evil
She is referred by Stiyl to Touma, that Kaori was the one who slashed Index in attempt to stop to her, though she believed Index would be unharmed by her attack because she was wearing the Walking Church - which was destroyed by Touma earlier. She realizes her mistake too late, and severly injures Index.

She first appears alongside Stiyl, obeserving Index and Touma's condition. Here, it is revealed that she has investigated Touma, and confirmed to Stiyl that he is a level 0 esper - someone with no powers. She later comments on how the Board of Directors are currently alright with people disappearing (indicating that they have permission to kill Touma), and later replies to Stiyl on how he was in the same position as Touma right now with Index, as he bemoaned the fate of erasing her memories. They later prepare a trap for Touma, and successfully catches him in it.

Here, Kaori introduces herself to him, and explains to Touma that they set up a rune to remove people in an area, allowing only Kaori and Touma to be in that area. During this time, Kaori asks Touma to hand over Index and attacks him every time he shows defiance, however, Touma refuses to give-up regardless and questions her on why she hadn't killed him yet even with so much power. Touma confronts Kaori on what she is using that power for, which forces Kaori to reveal her past with Index and why she thinks of them as enemies. Touma, defiantly tells her on how they were selfish and chose the current misunderstanidng with Index as it was convenient for them, and never thought about Index at all. He continues, that they should have assured her that even if the memories of her friends were being erased, she will always have new memories of them in the next. Eventually, Touma succumbs to the attacks he sustained after being overwhelmed by Kaori and collapses. She stops her attacks, though it is quite apparent that Touma's rebuttal to her explanations has affected her.

Three days later, they arrive at Tsukuyomi Residence to pick-up Index, but is repelled by the pleadings of Index to leave Touma alone. Because of this, they allowed Index to stay with Touma for a while, and waited to arrive at midnight to erase her memories and collect her. She later becomes sympathetic to Touma's despair over not being capable of saving Index, and allows Touma some time alone with Index to say his farewells to Index. They later return however, after hearing an explosion from the apartment and discovers that Index can actually do magic. Which contradicts the information given to them by the church.

Touma explains to them - while blocking Index's attack - that the church was lying to them all along about Index's condition, that she will die if her memories are not erased once a year. Kaori is then forced to aid Touma in returning Index to normal, and recites her Magic Name for the first time. This allowed Index to lose balance and cause her attack to be sent to space - destroying a sattelite in the process. With the help of Stiyl and his Innocentius, this gave Toum an opening and allowed him to cancel the effects of Necklace on her, restoring Index to normal from being Johann's Pen Mode. Kaori and Stiyl however, realizes that one of the feathers of the after-effects of Index's attack hit Touma in the head causing him to collapse.

Kaori is later seen with Stiyl outside the hospital where Touma is staying. It is revealed by the Heaven Canceler that, they were the ones that gave the explanation to him on why Touma is currently in this condtion - though apparently they were unaware, that Touma has lost his memories at the cost of preserving Index's.

Ursula Aquinas and The Book of Law
She appears in this volume to try to help her friends of the Amakusa church, but since she is no longer their leader she decides to defeat the English knights who was sent as backup and stayed out of the fight to see how her old followers would turn out to be. Tscuchimikado Motoharu asked her just what is she trying to achieve coming to Japan, and she replies she doesn't really know.

In the hospital after Touma fought Anieze she tells Touma that Ursula is now working with Necessarius along with the Amakusa sect now as branch of Necessarius. She tries to thank Touma but is interrupted by Tsuchimikado Motoharu, trying to twist her sincerity into fanservice for Touma. Touma loudly denies he has such indecent thoughts about Kanzaki, but Kanzaki didn't understand what exactly Motoharu was trying to tell her to do. In the end she got her message of 'thank you for helping, when you're not even a magician and just a normal civilian' across, to which Touma replies all he did was helped people on 'his' side - ie his friends who was in trouble, and those that needed help. And if the next time Anieze was the one in trouble he would help her out as well, she's just unluckily the villain for this time. Kanzaki's amazed by this outlook that completely disregards the intricate politicking between the many factions on both the Science side and the Magic side.

Oriana Thompson and the Daihasei sports festival
During this story she doesn't has a real participation but Tsuchimikado tricks Oriana Thompson claiming he used a spell to call for the help of a Saint like her, causing Oriana to run away.

Volume SS1
Sasha Kruezhev came to the Necessarius girl's dormitory to scout out where would the people here support if war breaks out, and Ursula replies they will take no sides and help any that is in danger from the warfare, giving Sasha no definite answer. Just about every resident in this dormitory have been saved by Kamijou Touma, and wish to emulate him in what's seen as his 'selfless deeds'.

After Sasha left Kanzaki sighed and thought about her own hubris that her power gives her, not thinking of Ursula's idea until she brought it up. Ursula joked Kanzaki is thinking about her crush, Touma, quoting Tatemiya's reply to the Knight Leader's invitation to a ball. Kanzaki fell off her chair in exasperation and fervently denied that is the truth, annoyed that the Amakusa have been reduced to playing pranks like these.

Aqcua of the Back's attack
She arrives on Amakusas fight against Acqua of the back takes their places ordering them to get away of the place. In her fight against Acqua of the Back, she realized was as arrogant as Acqua. She brushed off Amakusas thinking they're weaker than her, that they need to be under her care at all time so for the first time she asks Amakusas to help her fight Acqua. When Aqua scoffs at Kanzaki saying if she values her life that much, but to this she replies she's only hurt them by leaving them because she was looking down on them as well. Now she will gain her place back and believe in them instead of blaming them and at the end of light novel, she confused how she thank Touma, Tsuchimikado says to her that this is the only way to pay her debt back to Touma is by wearing a fallen-angel maid costume (Erotic version). Kanzaki in state of confusion told Tsuchimikado to bring the costume and ten minutes later she enters Touma's room and then the "fallen angel accident" happened.

Toaru Majutsu no Index: Kanzaki SS
Bundled with the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun DVDs, this story takes place after the events of the Angel Fall arc.

The first part revolves around a man called Elason. He's a person who creates magical restraining and containment devices for the Necessarius. One day, he suddenly disappeared, and if his knowledge leaks out, it could potentially lead to magicians escaping from the London Tower. It's unknown whether he was brought away be some else, or disappeared on his own. Kanzaki was sent to find and bring him back.

At the start of the chapter, Kanzaki and Elason fought, but Elason escaped.

The next day, a messenger (the tour guide) came to the jeans shop where Kanzaki was, and asked Kanzaki and the jeans shop owner to help with the investigation. The jeans shop owner is actually kind of like Kanzaki's "partner" and has knowledge about magic, although he's more like a volunteer. So tour guide, jeans shop owner and Kanzaki went to Elason's house.

There, they found a bunch of "devices" which were not sold to anyone, and the jeans shop owner was asked to analyze them.

Also, they met a girl called Sachiel, the one who noticed Elason's disappearance and reported it. Sachiel was abandoned by her parents when she was 10 and also became a victim of child trafficking. She was saved and sent to an orphanage by エーラソーン. Sachiel wanted to pursue Elason in search of her purpose in life, and kept on escaping from the orphanage because of that. Eventually, Elason knew about it, brought her out of the orphanage, and let one of his neighbors take care of her.

After that, Sachiel offered to help with Elason's work, but he refused. However, Elason eventually noticed Sachiel's abilities to escape. Naturally, as a person who creates restraining and containment devices, this interests エーラソーン. He also found out that Sachiel escaped to search for her purpose in life. Eventually, Elason decided that the only way to keep Sachiel safe is to give her a purpose in life and let her help with testing his creations. Since then, Sachiel sees this job as something that she needs.

When Kanzaki and jeans shop owner left Elason's house, they took a bunch of the devices away to analyze. The tour guide went to St. Julian's Cathedral to meet with the bishop there, since the bishop seems to be concerned about Elason's disappearance.

On the way back to the jeans shop, Kanzaki received a call regarding a Magical Organization that was in contact with Elason before his disappearance. Kanzaki went and fought them, but the organization didn't know anything.

Back in the jeans shop, they started analyzing the devices. The owner used a magic which allows him to see the "magical blueprint" of a device, and asked Kanzaki and the tour guide to do the same and split the work so that they could speed up the analyzation process. They noticed that each of those devices have Cathedral-level strength. Kanzaki then realized that those devices were actually miniatures of the St. Julian's Cathedral, and were made to mimic the security systems in that cathedral so that Elason could analyze them. They deduced that Elason's plan is to attack St. Julian's Cathedral.

Elason easily infiltrated St. Julian's Cathedral, and was able to reverse trap the guards, since he already analyzed the security systems through the devices he created. He went straight to the bishop's room.

Meanwhile, Kanzaki came to the Cathedral. There, she encountered one of the tools created by Elason, in the form of the Gleipnir.

In the bishop's room, Elason restrained the bishop and interrogated him. The bishop is actually the one behind that child trafficking project. The purpose is to give a steady supply of magicians to the Necessarius. However, the child trafficking project is not supported by either the Necessarius or the Church of England. The bishop of St. Julian's Cathedral started the project himself so that he could become a good supplier and get more merit for himself.

As Elason was killing the bishop, Kanzaki came into the room. Then, it was revealed that Elason knew about the bishop's project all along, even before he saved Sachiel. He had planned to kill the bishop all along, but also hated himself for being a hypocrite and getting joy from being a hero and the "purpose of life" for one of the victims of the project. Because of that, he intended to kill himself to completely free Sachiel.

In the end, Elason lost to Kanzaki, and was handed over to the Church for punishment.

Abilities
Her sorcery name is Salvare000, "The one being saved becomes the hand that saves". Unlike her partner Stiyl, she uses magic to magically strengthen her body, and is proficient in non-magical combat.
 * Stigma, the ability to call upon God's power as a saint who has a body which resembles the Son of God, she is also endowed with super-human capabilities. Kaori uses this in combination with the Amakusa Style to perform magic that can stand up to Christian Angels.
 * Amakusa's Style Combat, as result of merging Shintoism and Budhism, which she performs using her nodachi for combat she the next form of attacks:
 * 1) Seven Flashes(Nanasen), is her main attack uses seven steel wires. The wires then can 'split' into thousands and surround or cut the enemy, though only Kanzaki can go that far due to her attributes as a Saint.
 * 2) Single Flash(Yuisen), is an attack which permeates magic to her sword which is capable of harming christian angels.
 * 3) First Flash(Meisen), is the real attack executed before the execution of the Seven Flashes (From chapter 6 of the Manga, not mentioned in the novels)
 * 4) Multiple spell casting, by using Nanasen she is also be able to cast spells by constructing various 3-dimensional magic circles.
 * Basically, in a fight with her, she can overwhelms the enemy from 360 degrees. The wires, the magic from the wires and then herself. Other skills in the Amakusa Style include excluding civilians from being involved from magician's combat like Stiyl's 'Opila' runes and enchant water to heal all external wounds and scars.

Trivia

 * Some of the 'cosplays' Motoharu suggested are maids, angels, fallen angels and/or ero versions of one or mixes of them, which later on making "fallen angel accident" at the end of the Volume 16.
 * From the SS light novel(also known as volume 13.5), from what Tatemiya Saiji said to decline the Captain of the Knights of England invitation to a ball "You can go home. Our priestess likes to lead a young man rather than being led by an older gentleman", it's now became a rumour that spread across half of London that Kaori has a crush on Kamijou Touma, which from their various interactions between the two leads to many people thinking Kanzaki have a crush on Touma. Even people like Laura Stuart and the Grand Master makes fun of Kaori using this rumour on many occasions.