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- "I know that girl will rise to the occasion. She was born twisted. So enjoy it while you can, Chifuyu... This transient peace of yours!"
- —Edea Crownsworth about Madoka Orimura
Edea Crownsworth (イデア・クラウンズワースエッディー Edea kuraunzuwāsu) is the true main antagonist of Hitokiri Kingslayer: Infinite Stratos Swordsman Romantic Story. One of the original Thirteen IS pilots, she is the leader of Phantom Task known as The Archon and Madoka Orimura's teacher who seeks to bring order to the world through the Infinite Stratos.
Appearance[]
Edea wears a purple skin-tight dress with a plunging neckline and feathers around the collar and a headpiece adorned with jewels. Her hands are claw-like, bearing sharp nails that could cut even metal itself. Before revealing her face, Edea wears a red beak-like mask to conceal her identity. When unmasked, she has pale skin and yellow eyes while having purple lipstick and her hair was black and straight. Unknown to most, Edea carries with her a medicinal kit for her severe injuries that Chifuyu inflicted upon her years before the story. She is also implanted with a pacemaker to sustain her heart.
In a flashback, when Edea rescued Madoka, she wore a simple navy blue dress with blue arm sleeves. Her hair back then was long, reaching to her hips. She still maintains this appearance in public places to blend in with the crowd but reverts to her real form in the shadows.
When imprisoned, Edea is shown in a white straitjacket along with her red mask now cracked, but also strapped to a life support chair that keeps her alive.
Personality[]
Edea with her mask on
Edea was once seen as benign and gentle to the public. She devoted her life to helping others, focusing upon the young IS pilots that she cares for. She was beloved by all as many young girls looked up to her as an aspiring figure.
All of that, however, was just a ruse for her inner nature. In truth, Edea is a megalomaniac and an expedient psychopath. While Edea did use her power and influence to help others in a caring manner, it was done with ulterior motives and she asked for their aid in exchange for her help, provided they were willing to obey. Those who resisted her offer blatantly were purged but for those that hesitated, she gave them time to consider. Aware of the fear between ordinary civilians and IS pilots, along with the matriarchal dominance over men, Edea encourages it to acquire more power and supporters. Edea committed all these crimes, claiming she was bringing order to the world. She has the belief that without power, one cannot assert ideals, and she does not believe in justice or morality, claiming that they do not conform to reality. Her presence is enough to make everyone paralyze in fear of her intimidating aura. She states during her interrogation by Chifuyu that the reason she commits evil deeds is simply because that is what she desires. She has no real reason for doing so, nor has any tragic background; rather she does this simply because she wants to, in her words, be an all-powerful demon lord to contrast someone like Chifuyu who wants to defend the innocent.
Edea was so attached to her power and status that she despises Chifuyu for taking them away from her. But perhaps due to her confidence and immense power, she has a calm and condescending demeanor, confident even when thwarted. Edea prefers to use forceful actions rather than emotional words.
Edea came off as quite impatient, as she wanted to get rid of the Academy pilots and the military IS pilots attacking Phantom Task as soon as possible. However, it is also possible that her body has a limit and she only wanted to do what she had to before the limit was reached.
Edea believes that her protégé, Madoka Orimura, has the ideal conditions to succeed her and continue her legacy. Still, Edea is aware of Madoka's immaturity and tries to teach her how to grow as a villain, although, unlike Chifuyu Orimura, Edea's methods of teaching are indirect. She speaks kindly towards Madoka and gives her encouragement when she fails.
Edea was shown to be quite self-absorbed and obsessed with her powers as she herself stated that she is unable to resist taking a One-Off Ability from an IS pilot once it piques her interest, much like a hoarder, even if she never truly had any real necessity for such a power, to begin with. She claims that she wanted to return some One-Off Abilities to their rightful owners, but follows up saying that a certain One-Off Ability, her own, has to be used whenever possible and sooner rather than later. She particularly enjoyed being able to mix her different stolen One-Off Abilities to create powerful attacks, and despite being already massively powerful even in her crippled state, she still wanted to stock up multiple One-Off Abilities.
Edea possesses a wrathful and vengeful side of her, particularly loathing Chifuyu for taking away her power and status in their first fight. She is also a firm believer in the hatred of the heart, believing it to be a very strong source of power. When mentoring Madoka, Edea gave her the severed heads of her enemies and those she despised as a way for the negative feelings in her heart can always remain close. When encountering the IS Academy students in the IS Core Network, the vestige of Edea was not troubled when Madoka started to loathe her, stating that this hatred was only more fitting for her student to succeed her.
Despite her power and authority, Edea is respectful with her subordinates and associates higher than her, being generally polite rather than patronizing. Although, this can be construed as a means to maintain her true nature.
Appearing calm and collected most of the time, Edea possesses a deep-seated obsession with obtaining the White Knight's IS core that borders on the pathological. During her duel with Chifuyu, she displayed a need to control not only the first IS' hidden One-Off Ability, but all One-Off Abilities in general. Her inability to claim it in the past over and over again appears to be a particularly sore point for her.
In spite of her many horrendous crimes, it is interesting to note that when explaining the consciousnesses imbedded into the IS cores and the dreams of people whose One Off-Abilities she's stolen, she states that such episodes leave her discouraged: this implies that she can be capable of feeling some semblance of remorse, though she quickly scoffs at the idea of being able to feel remorse for her sins like a regular person, signifying her massive egomania and belief that she is above all other humans.
Relationships[]
ALLIES[]
Madoka Orimura[]
"You've failed again, didn't you? But do not be discouraged. Simply begin again. Start over as many times as you need to. That's why I'm here. Everything is for your sake, Madoka." -Edea to Madoka.
Madoka Orimura, adopted daughter, heir, and student of Edea Crownsworth
Edea was the one who found a young Madoka and saved her from death in the alleyway. Ever since then, Madoka looked up to Edea as a mother figure. Edea is deeply invested in Madoka's growth and is very committed to her role as Madoka's teacher, giving her the opportunity to grow and think for herself. She was satisfied when Madoka finally developed a plan to achieve a goal on her own against her family, specifically against her brother. When Madoka's plan failed, Edea simply told her that she can try again as many times as she wants to and that the Dark Lady will always be there to help her as it is all for Madoka's sake. Although well aware of her own immaturity, she works to mold her into the successor she dreams of her being.
Madoka reunites with Edea
It does appear that Edea truly cares for Madoka, having a similar relationship like Chifuyu has with her little brother Ichika, as she told her that everything is for her sake and deems Madoka to be her student/daughter. Instead of punishing Madoka like any archetypal villain would do to their apprentice for their failure, Edea instead encourages Madoka to simply start over as many times as she needed to and that she will always provide her with help. After Madoka was severely injured and left for dead by Raiden Hataru in their encounter in Kyoto, Edea rushed to her help and escorted her back to base, using a rejuvenating tank to heal her wounds as her IS underwent repairs. Edea stayed by Madoka's side, watching her student every day recover whilst noting her growing anger and hatred for her humiliating defeat.
Although Edea groomed Madoka with the intention to demoralize Chifuyu and even scorn the lineage of the Orimura bloodline, it is evident that she grew to truly care for her adoptive daughter and is the only person to whom she has shown genuine love to, even if greatly motivated by evil. Even Squall, Madoka's superior and one of Edea's servants, states that the only time the Dark Lady is emotional is around Madoka, though only in private.
Squall Meusel[]
Squall became one of Edea's most loyal servants, trusting her enough to take care of Madoka both before and after her capture
"Listen carefully, Squall. If for whatever reason I am gone for an extended period of time, you will be the only one who can protect Madoka. That said, should you ever be concerned or feel as though you need assistance, there is someone else you can rely on." -Edea to Squall in a flashback.
Not much is seen between them, though Squall seems to be loyal to Edea, serving as one of her chief advisers. Edea in turn entrusts Squall into looking after Madoka and ensure that she is given the proper guidance. And if Squall ever found herself in a pinch and needed help, Edea can direct her over to her hidden weapon, the IS dragon Bahamut, whom Edea sent into the mountains to hide from the military.
Kikyo Inazumi[]
Nobuo Iwasaki[]
ENEMIES[]
Chifuyu Orimura[]
“We are the same, though you’d never admit it. Just as you long to become the White Knight, a protector of the innocent, I long to be the Dark Lady, an all-powerful demon lord. It’s that simple.” -Edea to Chifuyu in Cocytus.
Chifuyu and Edea were one of the original pilots of the Infinite Stratos turned bitter and hated enemies
Edea detests Chifuyu just as much as the latter does to the former. Edea hates the first Brunhilde for who she is: a White Knight who believes she must defend the weak and unworthy in terms of the IS. It is because of this that she and Chifuyu once fought a match that was off the record in a remote location far from the eyes of even Tabane, yet ended with both pilots critically injured. Chifuyu had gained a hole in her stomach while Edea had a sword go through her chest, piercing through her heart.
Edea states to Chifuyu that she needs a successor to spread her ideals to contrast Chifuyu's, hence Madoka. She intends to use Madoka to end the Orimura bloodline, calling it a curse on society and that Ichika will be the first one to fall. Chifuyu, in turn, despises Edea, realizing that she was the one who orchestrated Ichika's kidnapping leading to Chifuyu's forfeit of the second Mondo Grosso. She also discovered that Edea was behind the Excalibur Incident and the Akatsubaki Incident, kidnapping Houki Shinonono so Edea can steal her One-Off Ability and have Houki pilot Akatsuki to kill Chifuyu. But perhaps her most shocking discovery was the fact that Edea killed Tabane Shinonono 10 years ago and created a clone with which was nothing more than her puppet she used in order to spite Chifuyu and sour Tabane's legacy with the IS.
During their reunion in Japan 5 years later, Edea confesses that she still has nightmares and mental trauma from their first encounter from when she saw the look on Chifuyu's face after granting her a severe injury via a torn hole in her stomach. Chifuyu, in turn, seems to not only be the first to nearly defeat Edea, but also the first to severely scar her mentally.
The White Knight meeting with the Dark Lady in Cocytus to settle the score
Edea enjoys belittling and ridiculing Chifuyu, relishing in breaking her spirit in any way possible whether it be in regards to her family, her close friends, or even her students. She also enjoys watching Chifuyu become riled up by belittling Ichika's weakness and recounting his near-death experience by the satellite IS Excalibur. In their second battle, Edea aims to take everything from Chifuyu, her image and pride by revealing her identity as the White Knight to the public. When that failed despite exposing her identity, she decides to reveal the truth that Tabane had been dead for 10 years and that Edea cloned her to act as her puppet whose strings she pulled from the shadows.
Even after being defeated for a second time and locked up in prison, Edea continues to play with and taunt Chifuyu, using any and every opportunity to strike at her rival. Despite being defeated by the latter, Edea took her loss in stride and mocked Chifuyu for not dying when she had the chance, confident that her pupil will become stronger to become the next Brunhilde. Edea is also aware of the fact that Ichika Orimura is the current bearer of the White Knight's core and criticizes Chifuyu for being what she sees a pathetic teacher.
Tabane Shinonono[]
"You see, Tabane Shinonono, your best friend and the creator of the Infinite Stratos, had already died 10 years ago! [...] I kept thinking about what you would hate most. And so I found Tabane in her lab, killed her before she could act against me and decided that even in death, she could still be of some use. I preserved her corpse on ice in order to create a clone that would act as my puppet whose strings I would pull from the shadows. I created chances for you and the fake Tabane to meet, causing events that had left a severe scar on your psyche like the Excalibur Incident. You nearly killed her, didn't you? You held nothing but bitter resentment for her, not knowing that your real friend had already been dead for 10 years." -Edea reveals Tabane's death to Chifuyu.
Tabane Shinonono's clone, created by Edea as a means of manipulation and control to spite Chifuyu and sour the IS creator's legacy
Just as Edea is the opposite of Chifuyu in terms of piloting the IS, she is also the opposite of Tabane in terms of IS experimentation. Tabane despised Edea's thinking in terms of experimenting with the IS, believing it to be morally wrong. Both were remorseless and self-centered in what they did, but by Tabane's account, she found Edea to be more ruthless.
Edea's role as one of the first pilots of the IS drew concern for Tabane as she had seen her adapt to the IS rather quickly, quicker than Chifuyu. She was even more concerned when she learned of what Edea thought about the IS and the power it had to change the world.
Tabane soon came to regard Edea as a threat and went on to confront her. A battle ensued between them but ultimately ended with Tabane's demise, a secret Edea ensured to keep hidden from everyone, especially Chifuyu and especially all of Phantom Task, Madoka included. Shortly afterwards, Edea kept Tabane's body hidden away and used her genetic template to create a clone with which Edea could use as a puppet against Chifuyu from the shadows, creating events that would, over time, break Chifuyu's spirit such as the Excalibur Incident.
Unknown to Edea however, Tabane's mind transferred itself into her clone body and hid itself deep into the brain, recuperating from her wounds.
Ichika Orimura[]
Edea sees Ichika Orimura as the White Knight's successor and Chifuyu's weakness
- "He was a frail little boy who was all bark and no bite, with ideals he could have lived up to had he not been so reckless. As the creator of Reiraku Byakuya and one of the original IS pilots like you, I cannot help but scoff at his pitiful weakness. And the way he died was truly pathetic. Where do I begin to start describing it…?"
- —Edea describing Ichika to Chifuyu during their rematch
Edea thinks Ichika is a pitiful boy, weak and frail, trying so hard to be a hero only to utterly fail in the end. She mocks his commitment to his ideals of justice and disparages his strength and, by her admission, declared he died a pathetic death at the hands of of the IS satellite Excalibur. She sees Ichika as the link to Chifuyu's weakness and intends to make the boy suffer in front of his big sister at the hands of his twin, Madoka, in an effort to break her spirit.
Contrary to what others thought of, Edea absolutely has no interest in recruiting or kidnapping Ichika Orimura, as she sees him as a threat to Madoka. She only kidnapped him during the 2nd Mondo Grosso as a means to demoralize Chifuyu but had otherwise saw him as expendable. She is well aware that his IS, Byakushiki, carries the White Knight's core and is also aware that his IS has reached a 3rd Shift. Regardless though, Edea believes that in the end, of the two Orimura twins, Madoka will prevail over Ichika.
Houki Shinonono[]
"If Houki Shinonono has said she wants to have a hand in something evil, then I definitely want to help in any way that I can. It is unfortunate that I will not be able to see Chifuyu's face twist in pain when she finds out, though... " -Edea's role in the Akatsubaki Incident.
Edea saw raw potential in Houki Shinonono and intended to turn her into a weapon against Chifuyu
Edea is well aware that Houki is Tabane's younger sister, yet instead of seeing her as a possible threat to her plans, she saw the raw and untamed potential that had yet to be tapped in. To that end, Edea secretly commissioned and built Akatsubaki, crafted by Tabane's hands, for Houki to pilot in the hopes she can build up her power, as it contained Akatsuki's IS core. Edea was rather amazed at how fast she had unlocked her One-Off Ability, Kenran Butō, yet now desires its power for herself to be incorporated into her Personal IS, Dark Lady. It was, for this reason, she orchestrated the Akatsubaki Incident, mass-producing 4th generation IS called Akebachi and kidnapping Houki in the process by Elika, as a means to steal her One-Off Ability and to have her pilot Akatsuki so as to strike back at Chifuyu. Ultimately, the plan failed with Elika killed and Houki rescued still with her IS and One-Off Ability but Edea did not think it was a complete loss as her plans with Houki were merely delayed, not destroyed.
For now, though, she allows Houki to keep Akatsubaki and her One-Off Ability but still intends to claim it for her own once its full power has been built.
It is later revealed that Edea also created Akatsuki, having obtained its blueprints from Tabane's personal files, and manipulated Houki to pilot it in order to wound Chifuyu and damage her current IS Kurezakura. Edea ordered Tabane to wipe the memory of the event away so as to keep the Archon's tracks covered as she has further plans with Houki. When creating Akatsubaki, Edea had Akatsuki's IS core installed in Akatsubaki so that over time, the IS would slowly but surely reveal its true appearance and Houki's mind would be manipulated to the point where Edea can use her as a weapon against Chifuyu, this time to permanently kill her.
Edea respects and admires Houki's determination, yet sees that, like her sister, she is stubborn in her attempts for success. Edea knows Houki is not aware of her sister's death yet does plan to tell her face to face, along with showcasing the location of Tabane's corpse and the recording of her untimely demise.
Infinite Stratos & Abilities[]
Edea's first and former Personal IS, Fallen One
Edea's strength was equivalent to that of Chifuyu's, as two of the first Thirteen original IS pilots. Her first personal IS was a 1st Generation IS called Fallen One. It was equipped with a large club in one of its hands and with its black colors, black wings, and large claws greatly stand out. It was with one of these claws that punctured Chifuyu's stomach and gave her the wound she has now. Fallen One was destroyed by Chifuyu during her match with Edea five years ago but its IS core was recovered.
Her current Personal IS is named Dark Lady, an experimental 5.0 generation IS that she constructed to experiment with her new powers by draining the One-Off Abilities off of every IS.
Edea's current Personal IS, Dark Lady
Edea is an extremely powerful IS pilot; being the leader of Phantom Task, revered as the one of the Thirteen original IS pilots, living since the creation of the IS, and having stolen One-Off Abilities from an innumerable amount of people, Edea has immense experience and power. For combat, Edea prefers to combine many of the One-Off Abilities she has collected throughout her long life in order to maximize their power and effectiveness, often to truly catastrophic levels. In addition, due to her enormous array of abilities, she can switch between various powers in the midst of battle, making Edea unpredictable, and all the more dangerous. Since she has no qualms with killing, she doesn't hold back in fights, and will even target defenceless people, using them as a distraction to her advantage. Edea's incredible prowess and destructive nature earned her the epithet, "The Dark Lady", conveniently named after her current IS.
Edea possesses a genius level of intellect, most likely due to her life experience as one of the original IS pilots. She is the true mastermind behind Phantom Task and has been pulling the strings the whole time. She also seems to possess a vast knowledge of the One-Off Abilities she's stolen, as shown when she knew about the advantages and disadvantages of her Warping, despite recently acquiring it. Using this extensive knowledge of One-Off Abilities in tandem with her own, she can combine several abilities to create devastating and catastrophic techniques, and even knows how to adjust the power of her combination attacks in order to blindside her opponents and deceive them into believing that the Dark Lady is using her full power. It's possible that her intelligence and observation skills increased due to stealing an ability called Search (Kanzashi Sarashiki's One-Off Ability that had yet to be unlocked), which allows the user to observe people's weak points, coupled with Edea's already impressive knowledge and fighting experience. After she dispatched the IS pilots that were present at factory holding Kanzashi, Edea discerned that Laura Bodewig's mastery over her IS involved experience and training; after correctly speculating that her innate power requires much refinement, Edea expressed her disinterest in taking her yet to be unlocked One-Off Ability nor her Odin's Eye. When she battled Chifuyu the second time, she calculated that it took the latter 60 seconds to travel from the National Diet Building to the destroyed IS Academy. With this calculation, Edea deduced that Chifuyu has gotten weaker in the 5 years that elapsed since their last encounter.
Edea specializes in weapons, blackmail, and IS trading rackets. With her charisma, she has bought the loyalty of several big time IS corporations, allowing the flow of cash to go directly to Phantom Task, increasing her power over the economic world. Edea turns a tidy profit cherry-picking select weapons and IS related off of the rail cars passing through her territory. Her train robbers see that the best stuff gets routed to her territory for offloading. What weapons don't go to Phantom Task, Edea sells on the side at black markets.
To ensure that her operations are not thwarted, Edea has Squall control countless city officials in her back pocket. The operation is complex, involving dead drops, bribes, and round-the-clock surveillance to make sure no one suddenly decides to talk.
Edea's biggest income is human trafficking, mainly of young girls who have the potential to become IS pilots. Edea owns safe houses, and she uses it as a front for her illicit trade. Due to the nature of the racket, the operation is very quiet, and information is only given out on a need-to-know basis. The victims are kidnapped and shipped over to the Meteor of Sorrow for Edea to examine and have them be experimented, indoctrinating their minds slowly to serve her and become Phantom Task's army of IS pilots. Those who do not fit her expectations to be pilots are instead made into hitokiri, assassins serving under Edea.
Edea displays her powers, using a One-Off Ability she stole called Phantom Blades
Another terrifying aspect of Edea's intelligence is her expertise in guerrilla warfare. While she was pinned down by Chifuyu, Edea mentioned Ichika and his "death" during the Excalibur Incident. She continued to taunt Chifuyu by calling Ichika a frail boy with ideals which he couldn’t live up to, and brought up the fact that "the way he died was truly pathetic", resulting in a provoked Chifuyu striking Edea in anger. Afterwards, knowing that their battle was being televised, Edea decided to weaken Chifuyu so that her identity as the White Knight will be exposed, all in attempt to decrease the moral of Chifuyu's supporters, and deprive the White Knight of her self-respect. She even went as far as to reveal the real Tabane Shinonono was dead, killed by her hand 10 years ago and that the one Chfiuyu had encountered in recent years was just a doll created and controlled by Edea to distraught Chifuyu. This fact caused Chifuyu to greatly despair over the fact that Chifuyu did not know Tabane was dead the entire time. Edea elaborated on the murder as being part of the reason as to why she cloned and controlled her, all so the Dark Lady can break Chifuyu's spirit.
Soon after, Chifuyu mustered the last of her power, and Edea surmised that the weakened 1st Brunhilde had only 2 to 3 minutes left with the White Knight before her power expires. When Edea and Chifuyu were reaching the climax of their battle, the former came to the revelation that, while the two were exchanging blows, the White Knight no longer lingered within Chifuyu, and the latter was battling with the remaining embers of the said power; Chifuyu was struggling to maintain what little power she had left in order to regain the strength she once had. At the same time, Edea realized that Ichika Orimura is the new inheritor of the White Knight that Chifuyu had chosen.
History[]
A young Edea Crownsworth, around the time she found Madoka Orimura
Edea was born in nobility in England, to a duke and his mistress whom he had an affair with. Named after her grandmother, Edea had grown up very atypical childhood. Under the care of her overly attentive mother, who recorded every detail of Edea's upbringing, encouraged her to talk with her about even the most furtive of her thoughts, and provided playmates for her, observing her interactions with them and interrogating her about her feelings regarding each specific youngling. Before her fifth birthday, Edea discovered that she was compatible for the Infinite Stratos. Edea's mother instructed her daughter to keep her powers secret, and confided in that they shared the gift.
After Edea's mother passed away, she had returned to her father and his noble family to meet the rest of her clan. As the daughter of a wealthy noble, however, she was never accepted by her half-brothers and sisters, who saw her as an interloper and sought to have her disinherited. Only one of them however, her younger sickly half-sister named Elizabeth Crownsworth, looked past such bigotry and grew close to her.
Soon afterwards, Edea's father fell gravely ill at a relatively young age, and it was discovered that he had a rare congenital defect in his heart that he had passed on to his children with his first wife. Edea, having been born to a different mother, did not carry the gene, and she watched as her siblings and clan mother spent millions of British pounds on a geneticist to help cure the condition. Edea however had secretly hired the geneticist to conduct phony treatments, and that she took pleasure in her siblings' early deaths, inheriting the wealth they had tried to deny her. Only Elizabeth was spared as she did not inherit her father's defective heart and soon, only she and Edea were the remaining members of their family alive.
While many of the nobility saw that the clan's deaths were unfortunate and tragic, only the Alcott Family suspected of Edea's involvement in their deaths but could not find any proof as Edea erased all evidence that could have been used against her.
Edea's history is revealed to have been one of the original thirteen females to pilot an IS, Chifuyu included. However, instead of seeing the IS used for sportsmanship, Edea saw it as an opportunity for power; to bring, in her view, order to a chaotic world that Tabane had created and subjugate humanity through fear, especially upon the men. In the blink of an eye, she had gathered a mass amount of followers, mainly female, who operated as her spies, who believed in her goals and ideals. Through skilled manipulation and subtlety, Edea had converted many IS pilots over to her cause, taking their dormant and/or active One-Off Abilities in exchange as she grew to obsess over them. When her younger half-sister Elizabeth, who was also one of the original Thirteen pilots, discovered her treachery, she resisted against her but proved powerless and was imprisoned in their family's home for years. Eventually, Elizabeth passed away but not before being rescued and handing her power over to Chifuyu Orimura, in the hopes it would stop her older sister.
During her travels, Edea founded Madoka Orimura in an alleyway and took her into her care, grooming her to be her student. She then joined Phantom Task under the pseudonym of The Dark Lady, the same name of her current IS, to begin her plans. In time, Edea had become Phantom Task's primary leader via another name, The Archon, only appearing via holographic projections to her subordinates. She had wiped out the Board of Directors to establish herself as the primary leader, turning Phantom Task from a simple underground terrorist organization into a military junta.
When Chifuyu Orimura had discovered Edea being the one who kidnapped Ichika during the Second Mondo Grosso and robbing her title of Brunhilde, she had tracked down the Archon and engaged her with her IS, the White Knight against the Fallen One. Their duel was kept in a remote location, far from the eyes of even Tabane. The fight ended in a draw with both pilots severely and mortally injured, although Chifuyu led herself to believe that Edea had died from her injuries. It wasn't until 5 years later that Chifuyu figured out that she had returned. Edea then recruited Nobuo Iwasaki, her chief medical and technology, to creating an IS dragon based on a fusion of the remains of Image Origis and the Infinite Stratos and become Phantom Task's ultimate weapon.
The Nemesis, Phantom Task's main headquarters
Edea is revealed to have aligned with several countries in order to achieve her goals, citing a conflict between nations. She has also taken control over Dunois Corporations led by Albert Dunois, Charlotte's father.
Since receiving a mortal wound and under careful medical care, Edea has had to restrict movement outside of her base of operations, which are located nowhere on Earth. Rather, during her days of recovery, she ordered Phantom Task to construct a manmade space ship of unknown design (most likely by Tabane) that is crewed of 8000 personnel, IS pilots included. Dubbed the Nemesis, it mostly lies in areas of space where satellites cannot detect its presence. Equipped with three powerful engines, a hangar, energy shields, stealth system, long-range sensors, and turbo lasers, the Nemesis is Phantom Task's main headquarters and where Edea runs her operations on Earth from the shadows. Currently, the Nemesis is harvesting Time Crystals around the world, extracting every last trace from each mine they scan for to create more IS cores.
Synopsis[]
After failing in their attempt to use the Silver Gospel and Udo Hina's suicide, Madoka complains of the failure, the Silver Gospel was defeated and Chifuyu is still alive, further complaining that everything went wrong. However, Edea, speaking on the monitor from the Nemesis, says that nothing went wrong and that she was simply over-optimistic, having underestimated the Personal IS pilots and noting that the Kingslayer was among them. Edea says that it is too late to mourn and that they should gather a new group hand picked for efficiency, saying that they should take all the time they need. Edea says that Madoka is a symbol of importance and that next time she will show the world the horror of her existence.
Edea is surprised that Raiden Hataru, whom she identifies by his former codename Kingslayer, was the one to stop Madoka's fight and save Ichika at Kyoto but is still happy that things are going as she has foreseen. She exclaims that Squall's position is to supervise and unify the new recruits who have come to join Phantom Task while Madoka leads them. Edea's doctor expresses doubt that Madoka can do her job as an IS pilot and says that if Edea stepped in, things would be proceeding faster. Edea asks the doctor to patch her up faster in an amusing manner. Edea says that she will let Madoka do all the hard work so that she may become her successor as Madoka was born to do so. Edea tells Chfiuyu to rejoice in the "transient" peace while she still can.
Quotes[]
“No one’s come to save you, have they? You’ve had a hard life, Madoka Orimura. ‘She’ll be fine,’ they say, ‘Eventually someone will help her,’ they say. I am sure that is what everyone thought as they looked away and ignored you. The world shouldn’t be so unforgiving as to abandon a young child like yourself. You didn't do anything wrong. Don't worry. I am here for you.”
- To a younger Madoka upon finding her the first time.
"Life is cruel. Why should the afterlife be any different if you fear death? I will offer a choice to the powerless. Sinners will be forgiven, debts will be repaid, and all burdens shall be lifted. I will grant you that one desire you long for most. You need only follow me."
- A younger Edea to her followers in the early days of the IS.
"No, I wasn't. We just weren't as prepared as we should have been.
- Edea to Madoka about the failure of her mission.
“Naturally, you’re upset, but this was not a futile mission. We’ve learned many things. Gather your forces again and bring out the elite troops. Take all the time you need for a counterattack. I must remain hidden in the shadows which why I need you to be my face. A symbol of your own. Madoka Orimura, next time you will show the world the true meaning of fear.”
- To Madoka.
"If Houki Shinonono has said she wants to have a hand in something evil, then I definitely want to help in any way that I can. It is unfortunate that I will not be able to see Chifuyu's face twist in pain when she finds out, though."
- Edea's role on the Akatsubaki Incident.
"Allow Houki and her cohorts to have their small victory, my student. This is but a mere delay, for the engines of this war turn in our favor. I will have her One-Off Ability in my grasp, but for now, I will let her keep it."
- Edea to Madoka about the Akatsubaki Incident.
“The Kingslayer... I didn’t think he’d stop Madoka’s fight. But everything else went pretty much as expected. Now that he’s exposed to the media once more, those who still wish to see him captured, or have his head on a platter, will seek out Phantom Task as a way to satisfy their urges. Squall Meusel will be put into position where she must unify many new recruits.”
- Edea examining Raiden and Madoka's battle.
"She'll do well, even if I have to work her to the bone. It's the only way she will be able to take my place. She was born with the twisted mind needed to become my successor."
- To her doctor about Madoka.
"Listen carefully, Squall. If for whatever reason I am gone for an extended period of time, you will be the only one who can protect Madoka. That said, should you ever be concerned or feel as though you need assistance, there is someone else you can rely on."
- To Squall in a flashback about protecting Madoka and contacting her weapon, Bahamut.
"I do feel bad about it, truly. When I find a One-Off Ability that is too good to pass up on, I cannot help but take it for my own wishes. It's become a bad habit of mine since the beginning. I'd love to return some to their rightful owners, but I have to use my own One-Off Ability in order to do so. Whenever possible and sooner rather than later..."
- Edea's reasons for stealing One-Off Abilities.
"I'm sorry, Katana. But Kanzashi-chan's One-Off Ability that had yet to be unlocked was so useful. I just had to take it. How could I not?"
- Edea introduces herself to Tatenashi.
"Since my body was mostly destroyed, I haven't been able to stock up on my powers nor test my new IS in such a long time."
- Edea reveals her IS, Dark Lady.
"Madoka has finally started thinking rationally and making decisions by herself. I do wish that you hadn't gotten in her way."
- Edea after defeating the IS pilots so easily.
"Now then... shall we begin?"
- Edea commences the destruction of the IS Academy.
"I see why Germany chose you to be its representative candidate, Laura Bodewig. That blast should have annihilated the lot of you. But you were able to use your cables to pull everyone out of the way just in time while using your AIC. Quick thinking. Consider me impressed."
- To a wounded Laura Bodewig.
"Now I see... Your strength comes from practice and practical experience, not raw power. I don't need your One-Off Ability nor your Odin's Eye. It wouldn't pair well with Madoka's disposition."
- After further wounding Laura.
"So, you’ve failed once more, Madoka. But you must not be discouraged. You can try again. That’s why I brought your associates back with you. Even your twin brother. Because you judged that he was an important piece on your game board. Start over as many times as it takes. I am here to provide you with the help you need. Everything…is for your sake."
- To Madoka.
"Ahh, there you are."
- Edea spots the White Knight.
"Have you come to kill me a second time, Chifuyu Orimura?"
- To Chifuyu at the start of their second duel.
"You're pretty late, you know? To think from the National Diet Building to the IS Academy, it took for you a full minute to arrive here after I sent my forces. How weak you have become, Chifuyu."
- Edea mocks Chifuyu.
"Sounds like you have so much to do. It'll be hard...for the both of us."
- Edea blasts Chifuyu away.
"Dark Energy Cannon plus Springlike Limbs. Kinetic Booster times four, Strength Enhancer times three. This is a delightful combination. Perhaps I should install a few more enhancers next time."
- On her Enhanced Dark Energy Cannon.
"Do not worry. It will take a lot more than that to kill her."
- To Ichika about Chifuyu's condition.
"Get out of here immediately, Madoka. And take your brother with you. [...] Squall! Open up a Groundbridge!"
- To Madoka before using Demon Fangs on Squall to open a Groundbridge portal.
"My warp ability is still new to me, Autumn dear. There is too much I need to learn about it. The distance it has is limited and while she can open a portal to specific coordinates, I can only transport people to and from my own location. Or with focus, to or from someone I am very familiar with. That is all. It'll be much easier for Squall to do it. [...] The Groundbridge is open! Get out of here now!"
- Edea to Autumn about Squall opening a Groundbridge before opening it up.
"Madoka, always keep in mind that you still got so much room to grow."
- to Madoka before re-engaging Chifuyu.
"I don't think so... because I am here!"
- Edea keeps Chifuyu away from helping Ichika.
"Are you holding back against me? Trying to keep the boy from being blown away? It must be so hard for you, being the White Knight and all."
- Edea taunting Chifuyu.
"Alicia Jiosestaf of all people?"
- Edea sees the 2nd Brunhilde's arrival.
"They got us. They neatly turned the tables on us in one move."
- Edea about the plan's failure before using Demon Fangs.
"Madoka... you must carry on the fight."
- Edea's final words to her student.
"I only came to save Madoka, but if you say you’re going to fight, then I will, too. In the past, your blade crushed one after another of my comrades, and you were extolled as the White Knight. The view you had from atop our sacrifices... It must have been a great one.”
- to Chifuyu before unleashing another blast.
"I won’t let you fight without reserve, though. Brunhildes have a lot of things they need to protect, don’t they?”
- Edea mocking Chifuyu.
"What's wrong? You seem to be very worked up about something, Chifuyu. I heard something similar to that line before... from the very first male to pilot the Infinite Stratos… Ichika Orimura.”
- to Chifuyu after being struck.
"You and Ichika have more in common than you care to think. But for all your attempts to protect him, you failed him when he needed you most."
- taunting Chifuyu about Ichika.
“He was a frail little boy who was all bark and no bite, with ideals he could have lived up to had he not been so reckless. As the 3rd Brunhilde and one of the original IS pilots like you, I cannot help but scoff at his pitiful weakness. And the way he died was truly pathetic. Where do I begin to start describing it…?”
- taunting Chifuyu about Ichika's near-death experience.
"I'm a little conflicted... The trust in the IS that Madoka steadily chipped away at... I wonder if it's okay for me to land the decisive blow... But you know, Chifuyu, as much as you hate me, I hate you in the same way. I nearly killed your little brother, that's for sure, but you took away the things I built as well, remember? That's why I want you to die the ugliest and most gruesome death possible and have the entire world witness your utter demise!"
- to Chifuyu while preparing to fire another powerful blast.
"Not everyone is so fast, aren't they? [...] I will destroy everything you have sought to protect!"
- to Chifuyu before firing another Enhanced Dark Energy Cannon.
"First to go is your self-respect and your hidden identity. Show the world who you are underneath the armor, my dear White Knight."
- Edea exposes Chifuyu's identity as the White Knight for all to see.
"What is this? The 1st Brunhilde was also the White Knight? What a pathetic display you've allowed yourself to show! Don't be embarrassed! That's who you are underneath, isn't it? The woman who destroyed all 2341 missiles thanks to Tabane and who changed the world! The very IS who every government has sought to hunt now with her real identity exposed for everyone to see!"
- mocking and laughing evilly at Chifuyu's identity.
"Wonderful. I give up. I'd forgotten how stubborn you as an Orimura can truly be. Then perhaps this will not hinder your heart at all: You see, Tabane Shinonono, your best friend and the creator of the Infinite Stratos, had already died 10 years ago!"
- Edea reveals the truth to Chifuyu.
"I kept thinking about what you would hate most. And so I found Tabane in her lab, killed her before she could act against me and decided that even in death, she could still be of some use. I preserved her corpse on ice in order to create a clone that would act as my puppet whose strings I would pull from the shadows. I created chances for you and the fake Tabane to meet, causing events that had left a severe scar on your psyche like the Excalibur Incident. You nearly killed her, didn't you? You held nothing but bitter resentment for her, not knowing that your real friend had already been dead for 10 years."
- Edea's schemes.
"Oh come now, Chifuyu. You know it's true. You understand, don't you? This is exactly something I would do."
- Edea dispels the lies.
"Oh, that's strange, Chifuyu. Where is that pride of yours now?"
-Edea mockingly laughs at Chifuyu's despair as she imitates her smile.
"Oh, how much fun I am having! Maybe I was able to steal a piece of your heart after all, huh?"
-Edea delighting in Chfiuyu's shock and horror.
"There it is. That's the last of your strength, isn't it, Chifuyu? A wounded IS pilot is a most frightening animal. Do you know that even now I sometimes dream of you charging at me with your entrails dragged across the ground? [...] You have what, two to three minutes left?"
- to Chifuyu while noting her power.
- "Hmm... those Golems weren't particularly strong but I'm still amazed you handled them so quickly. As expected of Hitokiri Kingslayer."
- —Edea to Raiden
"If the only reason you're here is to cheer her on, I prefer you to remain silent!"
- Edea before engaging Raiden and Jake Jackson.
"(Scoffs) How futile! [...] Let's all conform back to reality and not waste so much time on heroism, shall we?"
- Edea blasts the ground and prepares the final stage.
"Those blasts from my Dark Energy Cannon were only meant to wear you out, not kill you. I knew it would take a lot more than that on someone like you. With all of my abilities I have stored up in these many years combined into this attack, I will strike you down for good, White Knight!"
- Edea prepares her final attack.
"I wasn't certain until we traded blows tonight, Chifuyu, but now I am. The White Knight's power no longer dwells within you. What you have been attacking me with is just a lingering ghost, the embers that remain from what you've already passed on. And that fire gets weaker every time you use it. Even now, it's a feeble spark about to put itself out."
- Edea notes Chifuyu's declining power.
"Ichika Orimura... Your little brother now holds the White Knight's core, doesn't he? I bet he came to the battlefield without your permission. You have no control over him, do you? It sounds as though you'll die full of regret, Chifuyu. You fail today not just as a teacher but also as a sister!"
- to Chifuyu before landing the final blow.
"I see... The embers of the White Knight inside you are resisting. They're desperately trying to preserve your last strength so that you may fulfill your duty. BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH!"
- Edea presses her attack.
"To think you are still able to resist this much... I miscalculated!"
- Edea's "miscalculation."
"A clever trick? How very unlike you. It's still weak, though!"
- Edea falls for Chifuyu's trick.
"I lost to you, Chifuyu. The struggle I put up was truly pitiful. But it is you who failed in the end. Beating me put you on a course that led you closer to your students. You missed your opportunity to vanish. You lost your chance to die. The job of any teacher is to help her student become independent. When a student relies on a master and that master disappears, the student's hatred grows, allowing her to walk the path of a true IS pilot, a true leader. Mine has comrades, and she's learned how to increase their number."
- Edea's thoughts to Chifuyu about her final battle.
"You'll be okay, Madoka Orimura. Take all this experience, rage, loathing, and regret and use it as you move forward. You...are now next."
- Edea's confidence in Madoka.
"Christmas at the Academy must be starting soon. Or has it already begun? I assumed that you would devote yourself to teaching now. And yet here you are. So why did you want to come to see me?”
- Edea greets Chifuyu at Cocytus.
“Do you know how stifling this place is, Chifuyu? If I so much as try to scratch an itch by rubbing my body against this chair, then every gun muzzle suddenly points at me. My brainwaves are constantly being monitored, along with my vital signs. One thought about activating my IS, and I’ll likely be put down like a rabid dog. Imprisoned deep underground smothered by layers of high-level security. Not even a bit of stimulation for my mind. The world likens this place to something out of Dante Alighieri's poem The Divine Comedy, calling it Cocytus. That’s the name of the lowest circle of Hell where the Devil himself is imprisoned. Escaping would be a struggle even for me.”
- Edea about her prison.
“Of course you come to me with a tedious topic. Even if I told you the truth, you wouldn’t be satisfied. There are some people who will never understand each other, Brunhildes included.”
- avoiding Chifuyu's questions of the former's actions.
“We are the same, though you’d never admit it. Just as you long to become the White Knight, a protector of the innocent, I long to be the Dark Lady, an all-powerful demon lord. It’s that simple. I had an ideal, and the power to see it enacted. If I could live forever inside my dream, then why would I begrudge the effort to make it a reality?”
- Edea's motivations
“You of all people ask that? [Laughs] What a laugh! It’s because you took everything from me. Look at my body! I’m alive yes, but only because of tubes and machines thanks to this life support system. After you appeared, I realized that my infinite potential suddenly became finite. It’s normal to pass your work onto someone else when the end is near. Think of it as inheritance, like the estate you pass down. Or the well-sown field planted by one person and cultivated from generation to generation. I’m just trying to do what everyone else on this planet is already doing. Nothing more.”
- Edea about the reason why she needed a successor.
“The world was probably pretty shaken up by your retirement, so let’s hear it. How are things actually looking on the outside?”
- taunting Chifuyu about her forced retirement.
“Right about now, the media’s concern about your identity is mixing with their worry about Alicia as the new de facto leader. It’s making them question how much power the IS will inflict once truly unleashed. Meanwhile, those lurking in the shadows have been listening closely. They sense the growing instability caused by the vacuum you created and are compelled to act. They think this could be their chance to change how the world works and are starting to band together. I think Madoka and her group will continue to hide for the time being, in order to ensure it’s their organization that rises to the top. Everyone will naturally wish to increase their influence, so there will be some fighting among the factions. If the scenario that I composed plays out as I intended it to, then I know everything that’s going on outside these walls.”
- Edea's predictions about the future.
“Do you know what I love most about this? Any rise in crime and terrorism moving forward is due to you concealing your fading strength. And now you won’t be able to save nor protect anyone. You’ve been relegated to the sidelines doomed to watch the world fall apart as villains flourish because of your own arrogance. Powerless for the rest of your days and entrusting the dangers of the world to your little brother who can barely hold his own! So, tell me… how does that feel, White Knight?”
- taunting Chifuyu about her current role.
“That’s all I needed. I can see it rigid on your face! You’re nothing now! You’re finished, and you really want to punch me, huh?”
-responding to Chifuyu's brief surge of anger.
"You said you came here to settle a few things. Is that really what you wanted to say, though?"
-scoffing at Chifuyu's declaration.
"Rest of my days, huh?"
-Edea musing on her time in prison forever by Chifuyu.
Gallery[]
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Trivia[]
- Edea is loosely based off of a few villains:
- Physically, she is based on Edea Kramer from Final Fantasy VIII, along with the first name
- Edea's personality is largely based off of the villain All For One from My Hero Academia, but some parts are based off of Megatron from Transformers.
- Her manipulative skills are somewhat derived off of Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars