Shundan Kimi

Shundan Kimi (春暖嬉美) is a character introduced in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun. Initially a prisoner in the private juvenile hall, she was freed after her allies took advantage of the Jailbreak Trial to break her out.

Appearance
Kimi is a young woman with long light blue wavy hair, which covers the right side of her face. She has notably sharp teeth. With repeated use of the Angel Dragon, her right arm gradually became deformed, with multiple eyes and wings growing along it, with the visible effects spreading up her arm and eventually reaching the right side of her face,  with multiple wings growing around her eyes.

After her escape, Kimi wears a black 'bondage-style combat uniform' (ボンデージ風の戦闘服), with a large white  with red insides over it. The poncho covers a large portion of her upper body and acted to conceal the side-effects from Kimi's usage of the dragon.

While imprisoned, she wore a light-colored prisoner's uniform with black boots,  and while posing as Iizuka, who was meant to play the target 'prisoner' during the Jailbreak Trial, she also wore a large collar around her neck and large handcuffs, connected by similarly large chains, as well as a dark-colored wig. Shortly after her escape, before she acquired her new attire, the top half of the uniform was opened from the front of the collar, exposing her cleavage, and the trousers were removed.

Personality
She has a vicious personality, using two innocent guards to test her newfound powers. However, she seems to be kind to her subordinates, being willing to let them do what they want once they finish a job.

Kimi appears to be apathetic to her surroundings. She paid little attention to the conversations of other prisoners to the point of being unaware that there are now seven Level 5 espers.

Kimi's apathetic and somewhat nihilistic personality is the result of both experiments where parts of her brain were expanded or cut out to determine the effects on ability development, and the of Shirakinu Honoka, who sacrificed herself when the group were escaping from the lab (as the researchers planned to kill Kimi due to the dangers of her ability). During her subsequent years growing up, she no longer found enjoyment in things she had before, noting that "something" was missing ever since that day.

Kimi dislikes people who protect others, heroes and self-sacrifice, her rejection of the idea stemming from the trauma of Honoka's sacrifice. Understanding the circumstances and her brain affected by the experiments, Kimi did not feel sadness or pain after Honoka's, but does feel anger at her weakness and how because she lacked power, Honoka had to protect her by sacrificing herself. It has been suggested that she gives power to weak because she is reminded of her past self. Additionally, ever since that day, even when bored with the world, Kimi still remembers the final look in Honoka's eyes, and feels something similar when seeing someone bearing their fangs after being driven to the edge.

She is a fan of the musical group mariophanie, and has been shown both singing and listening to their songs, though she dislikes the material they've released since her imprisonment.

Background
When she was at the age of seven, she lived in an orphanage along with Raifu, Tsurigane, Honoka with Aohoshi who often would doctor her. After Aohoshi left the orphanage, she leaves Kimi and her friends at an orphanage to take care of younger child errors. Later Kimi and her friends were sent to a 'power-boosting' facility she ponders about herself being a level 0. As she watches Raifu is raised to level 2, Kimi is still being level 0 and she notices Honoka depression about her power dropping to level 1, she tries to cheer her up as she is still level 0 but Honoka leaves in anger. Tsurigane sneaks into their record file room finding more about their experiments that they are only affecting their power levels instead. She hides while two researchers arrive and talk about Kimi's unknown development as only a level 0, wanting to know more about her they decide to expand their research data for Kimi.

Afterwards two researchers discover Kimi's power and they start on calling Kimi's more often, Raifu suggesting to bring her some food but Kimi refuses so, she mentions she doesn't even feel the taste of food anymore. Honoka is afraid that Kimi's going to get killed when she was told by Tsurigane what she heard earlier. Two researchers forces Kimi to come along for another exam, but are knocked out by Tsurigane and Honoka, when Tsurigane suggests escaping she goes along them. However the researchers find out about their escape plan and authorize killing them. While running in the hallway they send off a Spriggan, they hide and Kimi finds out another one, she then suggests to exit the facility through the emergency stairway. Honoka praises Kimi for she might be an esper and keeps on complementing her out of jealousy lamenting herself for being weak. Kimi says they're only after her and that's it. As a Spriggan catches up to them, when they reach the door exit, Honoka let go of Raifu whom she was carrying and she kicks them both off the stairway.

After being kicked off by Honoka's "betrayal", the Spriggan catches both Kimi and Raifu. She watches as the guards shoots and kill Honoka. Before she is executed by the Spriggan it breaks apart. Later after successfully escaping the facility they burn it out. Kimi apologises to Honoka but Tsurigane points out she doesn't have any reason to be responsible that of which Kimi agree's on. She mentions she doesn't feel anything at all even though Honoka's dead but she doesn't feel any emotions, they think it's probably due the program they were in, as they must of have messed up with their brains. Remembering her past life with Honoka, Kimi remembers her final look in her eyes.

Later upon escaping the facility together with her friends, Kimi was shown having returned to the orphanage, returning to her normal life and moving on from events of that day as she settled back to normalcy. However as noted by Kimi, that ever since that day she escaped from the facility and on the wake of Honoka's, Kimi had felt as if "something" was missing from her, seemingly beginning her gradual descent into an apathetic, bored and nihilistic daze as her life passed by that eventually developed into a feeling of complete emotional emptiness, with the only thing even giving her a moment of emotion being her remembering the "look" in Honoka's eyes as she "betrayed" her, leaving her constantly wondering on what exactly this "look" meant.

One day, while wandering around Academy City's back alleys in her usual state of apathtic boredom, Kimi had come across a single girl being harassed and ganged up by a group of delinquents. Uninterested, Kimi proceeded to ignore the entire mess and simply continue with her wandering as she turned away from the scene. However, unexpectedly Kimi's hand was then taken by the victimized girl, begging for her to help her. Bored and uninterested, Kimi responded by giving her a hand knife and then apathetically told her to "do it herself". As the girl took the knife and fought back, Kimi began to notice the glint of strong emotion in her eyes, recognizing the same look of clustered emotion Honoka had during her final moments, unexpectedly bringing a flare of emotional joy back into her body and once again making her feel "alive" once again, causing her to then realized that seeing someone weak rising up and fighting back against someone strong brought a thrill to her inner emptiness and once again made her "feel" "something" again after years of nihilistic emptiness. Eventually one of the delinquents attempted to attack her as well for assisting the girl,causing Kimi to then excitedly attack them in retaliation with ecstatic joy as she entered the brawl.

Three years ago, Kimi was imprisoned in the original Reformatory, where Aohoshi worked. At some point following the most recent Daihaseisai, Kimi attained the stray Angel Dragon that was released from Kamijou Touma's right hand during the events of the festival, drawn to the energy source provided by the black hole formed by Kimi's ability. Kimi was aware of her acquisition and its power, but could not use it due to the effects of the AIM Jammers in the facility. She told Aohoshi about the dragon, though she was somewhat incredulous. Regardless, they would factor it into plans for an escape from the new private juvenile hall, where Aohoshi and Kimi were transferred to, the former as head of security and the latter imprisoned in Room 42.

Jailbreaker Arc
She was a prisoner in the private juvenile hall prior to the start of the Jailbreak competition, in room 42. When the Jailbreak Trial was devised, her allies took advantage of the opportunity to engineer her escape, including Aohoshi. She was to be switched with Iizuka, one of the jailers who was playing the "prisoner" which the competitors were supposed to break out. With the Jailbreak Trial coming, she and Aohoshi managed to modify the security of the facility in order to test the best competitors and find the best hacker in the competition.

The plan ultimately succeeded, when Uiharu Kazari successfully managed to break her out and through hacking alone. Prior to her breaking off her chains and escaping in earnest, Kimi managed to have a conversation with Uiharu, where she revealed her method of hacking, amazing Kimi. As the event wound down, she was left alone with two guards. Now out of the AIM Jammer's range, she summoned the dragon to eat through her chains and attacked the guards to test her newfound ability. She later regrouped with her accomplices, Aohoshi, Tsurigane, and Raifu, and began the next phase of their plan, to get the best hacker they know: Uiharu Kazari.

Kimi played a card game with Tsurigane and Raifu. Aohoshi revealed that she has obtained Uiharu's registration data. Raifu commented on how Uiharu was with the Railgun, which surprised Kimi when she is informed that the Railgun is the third-ranked Level 5, and there are now seven Level 5s in the city since she was incarcerated. Aohoshi remarked that the information regarding the Level 5s should have been passed around by prisoners to which Kimi revealed that she simply wasn't interested. Aohoshi said that the city's strongest espers are claimed to rival a navy cruiser's in firepower, thought Kimi seemed unimpressed, as she won the card game.

Later on, Kimi's group manages to abduct Uiharu. They take her away in a recreational vehicle (RV), driven by their female minions. Kimi apologies to said minions, saying that neither she nor her friends can drive, and tells them that they can go wherever they want after the job is over. The RV is attacked and stopped by Mikoto and Kuroko, the former ordering the minions to release Uiharu. Kimi tells the minions to ignore Mikoto and go, then greets Mikoto as the Railgun. She tells her that she only wants Uiharu to do a quick job and will return her unharmed afterwards, which Mikoto does not accept. Kimi unleashes her dragon, unsettling Mikoto as she recognizes it as the one that emerged from Touma previously. Mikoto attacks with iron sand and demands to know why she has it, but Kimi replies that she doesn't know. The dragon transforms the iron sand into a white substance that easily crumbles, and then destroys a building with its charge. Raifu asks if Kimi got Mikoto, but Kimi denies this as Mikoto wouldn't go down that easily. Kimi and her group flee in two vehicles, using the entrance-way road that leads to School District 11.

Afterwards, Kimi informs Uiharu about her objective when asked, that she is planning to break Academy City's information isolation and constructing a worldwide network to use it revealing, Academy City esper development technology to the entire planet. She reveals that Academy City has a monopoly on esper development as well as anti-esper technology though they don't have control over it. Kimi mentions that it's a shame to which only 1.8 million students get this, and there has to be others powerful people in more than the two billion others in the worlds. Kimi goes on that if a ton of more level 5s people are created which the world balance will be remade. Uiharu wants to know her reasons for doing such a thing, though she only says to give fangs to the downtrodden. It is that she will give them the opportunity. However upon hearing all that Uiharu completely oppose the idea, that if she do that would she able to even survive in such a world. Kimi wouldn't care as she rather be dead than bored. Questioning Uiharu if she will help her with her idea but she refuses. Uiharu tells Kimi if she really wants her to do as she wants she should just brainwash her as she did to the guards. After noticing that, Kimi informs her that it is true that they are under her control, but it is a type of hypnotism unable to think for themselves while under it's effects which is not great for a hacker to work. curious about her power she asks her if that it is but Kimi only says it's a blessing one she happened to receive since her power never manifested. Kimi then cuts a tiny piece of her finger, grabbing Uiharu and makes her swallow the blood on her hand. She tells Uiharu about her dragon power that fought Misaka which came to save her. She let go of Uiharu whom she coughs out the blood. Hearing that Uiharu donated her prize money to an orphanage provoking Uiharu that she can always destroy the place. As Uiharu looks at her with anger much to Kimi amusement with her look, before leaving she tells Uiharu she would love to tell her to the weight of the options carefully, as well as hoping to hear her response for her excitement. Kimi then informs her she will provide her with anything she needs. Meanwhile a tired Aohoshi come running towards Kimi.

Aohoshi berates Kimi about using Uiharu as bait, as well as abducting her thinking she has done that to erase her information from the bank. However Kimi knew it is a troublesome for her, though Kimi wants the loophole for it to create tons of money. Aohoshi tells Kimi that she just wanted to live peacefully all of them together again. Kimi is not concerned as she doesn't see what would be so great with it. She has a flashback with Raifu and Tsurigane which how she would deal with Mikoto, informing her companions about her dragon and she's most fit to deal with her. Tsurigane sees her arm which surprises Raifu while Tsurigane advises her it's for the best not to use it. Kimi thinks to herself that she's not good with negotiations, and remembers Uiharu's look when she was provoking her earlier and her friends would never abandon her as a hostage. Kimi later tells the three brainwashed guards if Uiharu tries to escape, should they restrain her and report to her.

Kimi later wakes up after she recall her childhood life, noticing she zoned out. She thinks to herself about how every time she sees someone angered when they are driven to the edge, sensing something similar which she did in her life as she thinks if these are the eyes of those who wants to survive so badly. Kimi then points out if that should be the case she should put Uiharu into more pressure. Upon noticing the video which had Uiharu trapped working she notices it was a recording and she doctored the footage. With a smirk she saying that she isn't the type who would be imprisonment.

Later Kimi is in the control room she watches Uiharu and Saten escape. Kimi fails to notice that Saten is disguised as one of the guards thinking that one of them had betrayed them. After noticing the computer Uiharu holding she confirms her hacking skills. Kimi tells the one in control room to cut power to the back gate. They inform her about the isolated power source which would shut down the guards. Kimi doesn't mind as long as none of them cover the prisoner cells. They request sending guards but Kimi suggests there is no need as she will go herself. Now the jammers are off, she unleashes her dragon cutting off Uiharu and Saten's escape. Kimi complements them as they almost escaped, she knocks off Uiharu who was protecting Saten and praises Saten for fooling the guards. She kicks Saten in the stomach, lifting her then choking her by the neck, and tells Uiharu there is no need to do something as boring to destroy an orphanage, since both of them will entertain her more. Kimi notices the broken computer on the ground saying why would she carry such a useless thing, as being captured would be much easier. However Saten informs her it was all according to plan as by cutting the AIM Jammers their friend will sure come to save them. As Mikoto barges in and uses her railgun on Kimi at point black range. However she uses the dragon to protect herself. Kimi says she would scare someone with an amusement expression on her face.

Mikoto shuts off the jammers. Kimi notices Mikoto's injuries and questions if it was Raifu's doing, though Mikoto tells her she never learned her name to begin with, or if it were Tsurigane. She questions Mikoto if she is a match for her in her state. Mikoto states it only fired her up, she then charges at Kimi using electricity but Kimi throws feathers at her, and diverts Mikoto's electricity then forms a black lightning from her left hand. Kimi's dragon then appears creating a light but Mikoto uses magnetism on a block to defend herself. Mikoto uses iron sand on Kimi though her dragon nullify them then she appear from the ground and using iron sand electricity which Kimi tells if she is copying her but Mikoto tells her if she is too proud of herself claiming that it is her original move from the start. Kimi tries to attack her using her dragon wings but Mikoto moves between them, attempting for a fistfight though Kimi knocks her off with her hand thinking to herself all her fighting as a child gave her more experience. Mikoto then stomp on Kimi's foot for a sudden attack and manages to land a punch on her. Doubting if she is a Tokiwadai student for a move like that, as she thought that all of them were sheltered little angels. Mikoto tells her to quit such imaginations she then magnetizes an object then throws it at Kimi but Kimi uses her Railgun version to completely destroy it. Kimi then tells her that Mikoto was trying to irritate her and having her friends escape. Kimi then taunts Mikoto with her being the original Railgun.

Kimi then continue using black electricity on Mikoto whom she keep avoiding. She notices Mikoto's cunning and her moves saying with her courage she would certainly make a name for herself for the chaos once she spread her esper development technology. Mikoto questions if that is her objective while an insect-machine is attempting a sudden attack on Mikoto, she stops it and throws it at Kimi. Kimi mentions to Mikoto the difference between the weak and the strong as all hero's can't reach all the weak. Kimi transforms her dragon into wings to shatter the insect-type machine and tells Mikoto that it should be more fair to give the weak weapons so they can fight back. Mikoto throws a part of the machine imbued with electricity at Kimi when she was trying to use her black electricity which she blocks it, and then Mikoto electrify the broken parts in attempt to destroy her dragon which tires Mikoto greatly, only for the dragon to reform. Kimi compares her power to that of a cruiser. As Mikoto still in the air attempting to throw one more part, Kimi tells her being in the air is a poor choice, as she charges her dragon into her. Mikoto manages to use magnetism to pull herself towards the airborne chunk of metal. Upon dragon contact failed it made cross shaped mark to light up which Mikoto notices that it turned into sand. She then uses electricity on the wall to blow it off, creating a smokescreen for Uiharu and Saten to escape. However Kimi notices this and unleashes the dragon directly at Mikoto.

Mikoto goes down upon the dragon strike, while Kimi mentions it's the second time she was hit by it as she was too focused on letting her friends escape. Due to the confusion and the smokescreen Kimi says locating them won't be easy, and summons an array of feathers then throws them all at Uiharu and Satan. Uiharu immediately shields Saten with her body from the feathers, but Saten pushes her instead, and the feathers cracks into her back much to Uiharu's shock. Kimi catches up and Uiharu begs her to remove the feathers, Kimi tells Uiharu if she would in exchange construct the hotline, but before she can answer she is interrupted by Kimi that it would be a nice threat. Kimi informs Uiharu of the feathers ability, which if anyone is stabbed by them they are placed under a hypnotic state and should've have drunk her blood first otherwise the salt in their body goes berserk, this reminds Uiharu when Kimi first used her blood, forcibly dripping it into her mouth. Kimi notifies Uiharu that she did the same with the guards with the help of Aohoshi, but an outsider such as Saten she didn't have any of her blood and there is nothing she can do unless she is destroyed with her dragon, horrifying Uiharu. She informs her more about Uiharu that this wouldn't have happened if the feathers hit her instead but Saten self sacrifice backfired her. Being so proud of themselves and only think of others asking Uiharu if she knows what she means, an angered Uiharu tells her to shut up which excites Kimi when she saw the look on Uiharu's face. Aohoshi comes running to Kimi who is confused at the situation, Kimi tells her to bring Saten to the medical room as well as Uiharu. Kimi comments about how Uiharu looked at her, as if she had the intent of killing her. Kimi changes her mind about her original plan of spreading esper development technology simply because Uiharu interests her more than anything in the world. While Mikoto gets up remarking to Kimi how about she hates other people who protects others or if she was traumatized when someone protected her just for her to reject the idea to verify it. Mikoto seems to hit the right mark on her end when she noticed Kimi's reaction.

As Kimi and Mikoto continue their fight, Mikoto questions her reasoning for giving power to the weak so as it reminds her of her past self. Kimi tells her not to act like she can understand her such as being a school counselor. Mikoto continues to consult her, mentioning that if she had more power she could've protected someone, this angers Kimi telling her to shut up. Kimi then thinks back to about their escape plan from the lab, when Honoka was in the lead in the stairway exist. Honoka could've easily noticed the management team, and the Spriggans functions who were only allowed to restrain them, so the management team would kill them, and Kimi questions herself that if Honoka kicked them in desperation to act as bait for them to buy some time for them to escape. Even after their escape Kimi had apathetic feelings back then, Mikoto says it has a real annoying feelings remembering how Touma saves her multiple times. Mikoto then connect both Kimi's and her own electricity, using electrical breakdown in the air to guide the opposing currents. She creates a path, landing electricity on Kimi's body, but Kimi endures it much to Mikoto surprise. Kimi is impressed by Mikoto experience on lightning, Mikoto wonders how she could've survived a direct hit. Kimi says it should have been her win and not to be surprised. Kimi flaps her coat aside and reveals her right side. Revealing due to the overuse of dragon it has been progressing through her right arm, it allowed her to endure Mikoto's electric shock.

Having fused with Angel Dragon. which pressures Kimi and enhances her power. Mikoto thought that she was only holding back during her earlier punch. However she attacks Mikoto with strong force using the dragon. While Mikoto has no choice but to keep dodging as Kimi became more powerful. Kimi notices the AIM Jammers have been activated, knowing it's Uiharu doing she's disappointed as she was hoping for her to hack into the military satellite and destroy the entire facility. Kimi mentions it's pointless as the dragon already left her control as the AIM Jammers are useless now. Mikoto inquire her to state from where she gets all that energy, that even her Railgun had no effect on dragon as well she wonders if her dragon isn't connected to Touma wondering how come she can use so much power. Suddenly Kimi notices her mechanical eyes have left her.

Wheezing from the spreading deformation, Kimi saw a vision of the security team from the lab and unleashed the dragon's light forward. Seeing the obstacles ahead crumble, Kimi laughed and wished she could have done this back then, only to be faced with the dragon in another vision as her past self, expressing that she should not have been there. However, the dragon suddenly began to disintegrate, along with the deformation on her body. Realizing that it was Uiharu's doing, Kimi expressed amazement at how a little thing like her could do this, comparing it to the weakest card beating the joker. Mikoto then told her that although she denied being protected, she was saved by Uiharu's drive to help people. Kimi replied that this was not the ending she wanted, sending the crumbling dragon at Mikoto in one final attack.

Abilities
Officially classed as a Level 0, the nature of Kimi's esper ability was initially unknown. During the earlier part of her time at the lab, researchers noted that she wasn't emitting an AIM diffusion field at all, speculating that either she hadn't met the conditions for her power to manifest or that it had but they were unable to detect it. Her ability and AIM diffusion field were eventually identified through further experiments and observation, though the information was classified.

Kimi's ability involves the creation of a, somewhere in the universe. It was discovered when a black hole was detected via gravity waves for 2.5 microseconds at one of the Earth-Sun Lagrange points at the same time as a change in her AIM diffusion field, with subsequent observations and experimentation confirming the connection. According to research logs, the power is extremely delicate, and it is difficult to control the size and location of the black hole.

During the course of their observations and experimentation, as they gradually grasped the nature of Kimi's power, researchers theorized that she might potentially be a holistic esper or possibly become the 9th Level 5. They also considered the possibility of connecting to a black hole billions of light years away, forming a and potential for solving the world's energy problems,  as well as the potential risk of destroying the planet or the solar system. The potential benefits and risks divided the researchers, with a group deciding that it was too dangerous to continue and attempting to have her killed, killing their own lab chief when he wished to continue regardless.

Angel Dragon
Kimi obtained the escaped Angel Dragon (天使ドラゴン) from Kamijou Touma's right hand, which was unleashed during the events of the Daihaseisai. It has not been fully confirmed how and why this happened,  but after learning about Kimi's ability, Uiharu Kazari guessed that the dragon was drawn to and leeching off the energy from the black hole created by her power.

Unlike Touma, Kimi has shown some control of the dragon, directing it with her right arm, and doesn't need to have her right hand ripped off in order to use it. It can launch feathers from its wings as projectiles. These feathers can be attached to an individual to apply a form of hypnotism, placing them under the control of Kimi and her allies but also leaving them unable to think for themselves. The individual needs to have ingested some of Kimi's blood for this effect to applied, otherwise the feather causes the salt within the body to go out of control in a lethal reaction.

The dragon also has the ability to transform a target, including iron sand and possibly other substances, into salt (specifically ). This ability causes a cross on the dragon's head to light up, and leaves a similar cross mark on whatever is transformed. This attack can be blocked by placing an adequate obstacle between the dragon's cross and the target.

Other
During her second battle with Mikoto, Kimi made use of black lightning to neutralize several of her opponent's electrical and iron sand attacks, directing it with her left hand. She also used it to reproduce Mikoto's Railgun, using a broken guard robot thrown at her as the ammunition. It isn't known if this is an application of the dragon, her ability or a combination of the two.

Aside from her supernatural capabilities, Kimi also has a decent amount of street-fighting experience, having gotten involved in many fights while growing up.

Quotes

 * "The weak are trapped below the heels of the strong, but even they can tear out throats if they grow fangs. They won't need heroes like you to save them. The heroes can't reach all of the weak, so isn't it more fair to give the weak weapons so they can fight back?"

Trivia

 * She enjoys decadent music and art.