Kamiizumi Iori (
Appearance[]
Iori is of average height. She has a short bob-cut hairstyle and is seen wearing the Swordsmanship Division uniform with white thigh-high knee-socks.
Personality[]
Although Iori is a very shy person, she is also Kanae's best friend. Iori can become serious when fighting as seen in her duel against Kazuki. Apparently she and Kanae hated doing paperwork and Torazō Yamada was forced to do it all for them
History[]
Background[]
In her first year she became the best friend and student of Hayashizaki Kanae. She was taught the traditional style of swordsmanship of her family, including the ability to Foresight and elude magic. She was among the rare few in those days to have the courage to insist on equal treatment with the Magika Stigma. In her second year she became the Vice-President of the Swordsmanship Division Student Council.
Plot[]
Volume 1[]
Chapter 1:
- Swordsmanship Division Vice-President Iori arrived early on the first day of class and trouble was already brewing. Because of their sense of superiority two Magic Division students had ganged up on a Swordsman. Despite both she and Torazō Yamada being there, they still called in their Student Council President Hayashizaki Kanae to help them. Kanae took on both Magika Stigma alone and they weren’t able to cope with her speed at all. Magic Division Student Council President Otonashi Kaguya turned up and after hearing about the situation put a stop to the fight. She was eager to broker peace between the schools but there were so many hard feelings on both sides this seemed unlikely.
Chapter 3:
- President Kanae’s brother Hayashizaki Kazuki challenged Rank-A Amasaki Miō to a Duel. He did so because the Ancient Sword Style of his family had been insulted and he vowed to defeat her with a sword. Such a Duel had never happened officially at the Academy before so it drew a great deal of interest. Nearly everyone there was stunned when Kazuki used Foresight to elude all the incoming magic and easily dominated the match. By the time the referee Hiakari Koyuki declared him the winner the swordsmanship students had received a massive confidence boost while the other side had been taken down a peg.
Chapter 4:
- When Kanae suddenly ran off Iori eventually found her at the Witch's House, home of the Magic Division Student Council. Kanae was upset to find out her brother was living here with a bunch of girls and was determined to make him transfer. He didn’t want to leave but given his great skill with a sword and no evidence of him having any Summoning Magic, Kanae had easily gotten most of the staff on her side. Iori found out she had been “volunteered” for the role of being Kazuki’s opponent in the Inter-Division Tournament. If Kazuki couldn’t defeat her with Summoning Magic alone he would be forced to transfer. Kanae spoke of Iori as her “number one disciple” but Iori herself was more modest in her appraisal of her own skills.
Chapter 5:
- The day of the tournament arrived; Koyuki was again acting as referee. Torazō fought in the first match against Vice-President Hoshikaze Hikaru. Nobody thought he stood a chance, but he felt inspired by Kazuki and displayed a level skill and resourcefulness that surprised people. Even though Hikaru still won in the end (in fact she almost killed him in the heat of the moment) the applause for Torazō was much louder, given the strong impression he gave. Iori faced Kazuki in the second round, where she was able to Foresight and dodge every shot of Barrett. But even when Iori got in close she couldn’t hit him due to his martial arts prowess. That pattern held for a while but Kazuki suddenly unleashed new spells. He cast Desire Tenable, which slowed and distracted her long enough for him to chant Blazing Wings. That was enough to finish the battle, Kazuki was relieved he hadn’t seriously burned her in the process. Iori appreciated the fact that Kazuki was enough of e gentleman to offer her his jacket (most of her clothing had burned away). She then left for the dorms and wasn’t present when the Academy was attacked by an Illegal Magician a short while later. During that fight the Diva Loki obtained a body of his own and everything changed. Kazuki was the one person who had the courage to keep fighting, driving him away and showing his potential as a King.
Volume 3[]
Two days ago the Knight Order had declared Kazuki and Charlotte Lieben Frau to be Illegal Magicians and placed an order for their arrest. Torazō had gone behind Kanae’s back and had assisted Otonashi Kaguya in the attempt to arrest them before anyone else knew what was happening. Kanae had punished him for not informing her of what was going on. Kazuki had been charged with stealing a Sacred Treasure and assaulting two Knights who tried to confiscate it. Kanae insisted that either her brother’s Diva was influencing him (in which case she would be okay with the Stigma Transplant Operation despite the danger), or he was being framed. She was confident she would be able to tell if they spoke. She frankly didn’t care what happened to Lotte. Torazō found this idea absurd, as no student would be able to pull off a frame job this elaborate (at that point hardly anyone knew Kazuki was a King and thus would never think there was a larger conspiracy at work).
It was known that Hikita Kōhaku had aided in their escape and was probably helping them hide out in the Swordsmanship Division in secret. Despite this she was still brazenly walking around and attending class as if nothing happened. It was also suspected that some of their teachers including Tsukahara Hisatada were helping them, paralyzing the staff of the Magic Division. They couldn’t do a massive search of the school without alerting the students about the full situation. The Student Council of the Magic Division was also paralyzed at the moment because their Vice-President Hoshikaze Hikaru wasn't sure she believed the charges and wouldn't participate in the investigation. By monitoring the security cameras Iori noticed that Kōhaku frequently visited a supposedly abandoned clubroom late at night and the room’s locks had been changed. They planned to search it, arrest and suspend the students there and try to learn where they were hiding the fugitives.
Kōhaku and her cohorts had been expecting their attack and were ready for it. They sought to seize control of the Student Council as the first step in their plans. The position of President was decided by strength alone, if Kōhaku could beat Kanae she would be the new President. Her friends attacked Torazō and Iori armed with Sacred Treasures and easily overwhelmed them and drained their magic power. Kanae felt strongly that Kōhaku's goal of trying to seize power over the Magic Division by force was misguided and would only turn people against them. It would undo all the efforts and progress her brother and Kaguya had made to bring the two schools together recently with outreach and goodwill. Despite Kōhaku having six Sacred Treasures Kanae was able to foresight and dodge almost everything that was thrown at her and came very close to winning against her with only her pure martial arts skill, which was far superior. Kōhaku had won but her confidence was badly shaken. Kanae was confident she would be stopped by her brother or by Kaguya who had far more power. In the end the old Student Council was dismantled and its members suspended for attacking their juniors and placed under house arrest in the dorm.
One day the Swordsmanship Division is attacked by 10 mysterious and powerful magicians who burn down several buildings, targeting the students. The Headmaster ordered the Magic Division to take cover and not interfere, saying it was too dangerous. It seemed impossible to disrupt the chanting of these attackers and they showed signs of having multiple types of Summoning Magic. Few students had the courage to face them anyway. A few brave members of the students and staff disobeyed orders and were able to help the students evacuate safely. Once the students were evacuated the “fugitive” Kazuki led a team of friends and allies from both schools and defeated all of them. Kazuki then exposed the Headmaster as an Illegal Magician and the mastermind of the plot. Board Chairman Amasaki became the new Headmaster. It was declared the two schools would be led under one banner now and be treated as equal.
Volume 4[]
In class, the format for the Chief Student Council President election was laid out. Each candidate would form a four-person team with two people from each division. They would compete in a tournament meant to display both their fighting skills and their leadership qualities. After that an election would be held with all students having an equal vote. During lunch the residents were called back to the house along with their friends from the Sword Division, all the people seen as likely candidates. Though most of them had been nominated only three of them were actually running. Kōhaku was already planning to resign as President and was unable to convince Kanae to take the job again. Kazuki’s team had Miō, Kōhaku and Tsukahara Kazuha. Kaguya’s team had Hiakari Koyuki, Kanae and Torazō. Lotte volunteered to join Hikaru’s team. Iori decided not to pair up with her best friend but join Hikaru instead. They were a swordsman short and they later added Kimura Tomomi to their team.
They gathered for the meeting to officially join the tournament. The next group to appear was a pair of twin girls Ryūtaki Miyabi and Ryūtaki Shinobu. They were quite powerful but anti-social and only worked with each other. The twins were identical except Miyabi was an Elf. She thanked Kazuki for disposing of the former Headmaster, who apparently had been trying to capture her as a test subject. She made her romantic interest in Kazuki obvious. They had been recruited by twin boys from the Sword Division Takasugi Shūsui and Takasugi Harunari. They were radicals who advocated that Magika Stigma should be deprived of civil rights and locked away and brainwashed to prevent them from endangering the public. Another team was led by the delinquent Mibu Akira paired with her best friend Asamiya Anna. These girls were forced to attend the Academy against their will because they received an Enigma. In protest they refused to participate in things like Quests or duels so it was impossible to gauge their strength.
As Kazuki feared, as Liz Liza Westwood laid out the rules certain things were banned. Magicians were prohibited from carrying weapons, swordsmen could only use standard magic and Sacred Treasures were banned. In other words everyone on Kazuki’s team but Miō would be fighting with a handicap. A lottery was held for setting the bracket. The teams began to train but with 16 of them, and with them wanting to maintain secrecy, it was hard to find space.
Kazuki’s team fought in the first match. His tactics concentrated on covering for each other and relying on teamwork. This went exactly as planned. With encouragement, Kazuha finds her confidence and defeats her opponent without help, stunning the audience. In the second match Kaguya’s team dominates the other side, employing the exact strategy Kazuki predicted. In the third match the twin brothers covered the twin sisters until Lunatic Labyrinth drew them all into a mental world where the other side lost quickly. Kazuki had prepared enough lunch for their whole group to eat together. Kōhaku hadn’t predicted that and had also prepared a feast so there was plenty of food. Even Miyabi snuck into their group and snuck some food. Before being dragged off by her sister she encouraged Kazuki to beat Kaguya and face them in the semi-finals. In the fifth match Hikaru’s team used excellent teamwork and skill to defeat Karino Mika's easily. The fact that Hikaru and Lotte were strong at close-range gave them the edge. In the sixth match, Mibu’s team stunned everyone when their swordsmen Katsura Karin and Hayashi Shizuka didn’t even participate. The spell casters were trained enough in Chinese Kenpo to counter the enemy swordsmen and were able to dodge incoming magic. It became a decisive victory for them.
The second round began with Kazuki’s match against Kaguya. In a direct confrontation they could never win, but he had seen through the weaknesses of their opponents. Again using teamwork and the tactics Kazuki devised they are able whittle down the other side and they finally gang up on Kaguya and win. The twin sisters won the second match exactly as they had before. Hikaru faced Mibu’s team next. The swordsmen on that team had hidden their true power before. While Hikaru and Lotte weren’t disadvantaged in magic, their opponents kept mysteriously getting back up every time they were beaten. It was clear they were cheating somehow but the Board Chairman refused to declare the match forfeit without proof. Hikaru received a savage beating from Hayashi who was able to pierce Defensive Magic and injure her gravely while laughing about it. Kazuki called for the match to end, while everyone else was slow to react. Realizing Hayashi intended to murder Hikaru, Mibu just barely managed to end the fight with her magic first. Hikaru tried to downplay her injures after the match, but she had been seriously injured. The residents and Liz Liza-sensei ignored the final match to check on her but it seemed she would recover with rest. The others left her room but she asked Kazuki to stay and chat.
The day of the semi-finals arrived. Kazuki confronted the twin brothers with dangerous ideals in the first match. They were unable to prevent the casting of Lunatic Labyrinth and they were all drawn into a mental world. Lunatic Labyrinth ended, the brothers were out already and the sisters were dropping Burning Icicle on the party from the sky. Miō was tried to defend them but her magic wasn’t very effective. Kazuki cast Storm Fort to remove the threat. The sisters cast their Union Magic but Kazuki cleaved the incoming attack in two. The audience cheered and Miyabi was stunned and impressed. She landed and immediately surrendered over her sister’s objections; they had no way to win any longer.
Her sister and the twin brothers question why she surrendered like that. Kazuki had seen through her true motives. She admitted she was testing him and his worthiness as a leader. Miyabi clearly confessed her love over her sister’s objections. It was revealed that her sister refused to recognize her as an Elf. Her mind wouldn’t accept reality and she wouldn’t spend time with anyone but Miyabi. But this fact also saved Miyabi from the loneliness other Elves experienced. She suggested that Kazuki should conquer them both. As expected the most dangerous team won the second match and progressed to the finals.
Volume 5[]
Before the finals a series of exhibition matches were held. This allowed the eliminated teams to display their talents again. It wound up being Kaguya and Hikaru in a battle for third place. The only other people who had been impressive were the twin sisters. Miyabi and her sister sat with Kazuki’s group. Kazuki was asked who he was rooting for. He wisely sidestepped the issue by cheering for his sister. Koyuki impressed everyone by defending Hikaru’s long-range magic. In the end it became a close-range brawl for everyone. While Hikaru and Lotte had an advantage in that scenario, Kanae was particularly critical in stopping Lotte and in the end only the leaders were left. Those two had fought many times and as always it ended with Hikaru’s loss. Hikaru and Lotte demanded special attention from Kazuki at lunch. Kaguya’s team joined them and Kazuki noted he was especially impressed by Kanae. They all had fun playing around together. Kazuki wasn’t allowed to make the lunch today and the girls were feeding him the dishes they prepared. When he gave Koyuki special attention and affection the other girls demanded it too.
Before the final match Kazuki spoke to them all about the plot behind the scenes. How the new Board Chairman had arranged this tournament. He also seemed to be in cahoots with that delinquent team to seize control of the Academy by installing a puppet. The group backing him advocated for the civil rights of Magika Stigma to be revoked. He also told them of the assassination attempts on him and that the swordsmen on the opposing team were contracted with Divas from China. Over the past few weeks Hayashi had brainwashed a number of students. Some of the candidates only signed up due to this brainwashing. He also told them how China was pulling the strings behind this whole plot to weaken Japan. The group was shocked by this. Kazuki also confirmed that it was Divine Protection by Hayashi’s Diva that allowed Mibu and company to continually regenerate magic. The Germans had told him that Hayashi was a well known operative and that those with her blessing could regenerate 70 times. They couldn’t win unless they could beat Hayashi first or cut off that blessing. Kazuha had a Summoning Magic that could do it, but it would violate the rules to use it. Kazuki planned to take on the dangerous two by himself. If he succeeded in backing them into a corner they might abandon pretense and use Summoning Magic in a last ditch attempt to assassinate the King. If that happened he encouraged Kazuha to use her magic. It was possible that Hayashi had brainwashed her entire team and if so Kazuha should be able to free them.
Liz Liza-sensei acted as referee. As was the plan Kazuki took grave risks to take on Hayashi and Karin alone. His team displayed excellent teamwork holding the magic users back. He was able to utilize numerous types of magic at once, shocking the audience and frightening Hayashi. She forced Karin to act as her meat shield, who suffered terrible pain as a result. Kazuki managed to attack Hayashi directly and forced them to use their Summoning Magic. Despite the danger the Board Chairman still refused to stop the match, having a logical argument prepared. Kazuha generated a weapon she was able to use to cut off the Divine Protection from the magic users. Though Kōhaku was forced to withdraw due to the damage she took while protecting her. But due to an attack by Mibu, who had never been brainwashed, her weapon was lost before Kazuki could use it to free Karin. Hayashi forced her sister to use a dangerous wide-area attack despite the risk to innocent people. Miō managed to rescue the enemy magicians and Kazuki did the same for Kazuha. In that desperate situation he had only one choice. He apologized to Kazuha before kissing her. Doing a full summoning of her Diva allowed him to disperse all the dangerous magic, free Karin from control and force Hayashi to escape while vowing revenge.
Kazuki had spent the week in isolation with the captured spy Karin. In the end his kindness won her over and she became his ally. He returned to class just in time for the formal vote. Kazuki had left his own campaign to his teammates Miō and Kōhaku. The students were called to a meeting where the results would be announced. The sixteen candidates were up on stage with the Headmaster and Board Chairman waiting for the official tally. Kazuki worried about funny business with the vote count. But in the end Kazuki was elected by a wide margin and gave a speech focusing on unity between the two divisions. An election had been held and Kanae became President again with Kōhaku as Vice-President.
A few days later the Board Chairman and his sons vanished from campus. That night news reports stated there had been a massive coordinated strike on all Knight Order posts in western Japan by a mysterious force including mysterious Illegal Magicians. All of western Japan had now been conquered by this unknown army. Western Japan declared itself an independent nation called Yamato which would follow the Japanese Mythology. This made it appear that they were an authentic Japanese independence movement. But the fact that many members of their leadership (including the former Board Chairman) were suspected of being on China’s payroll, and that they were allied with Loki, made it clear that wasn’t true. Kazuki later called the students into a meeting. At the request of the Knight Order he would be leading a volunteer force of skilled students to reinforce the border. Thanks to an information leak, they were almost wiped out during an ambush on their way to the front lines. Feeling the need to make a surprise attack without tipping their hand to the enemy, Kazuki led only the students on a raid behind enemy lines. This assault became Japan’s first victory in the Civil War and went a long way to establishing his reputation as a leader. It is unconfirmed if Iori was a part of this volunteer force, but it's likely she signed up.
Powers and Abilities[]
Swordsmanship: Iori excels in swordsmanship, as well as the Hayashizaki family style that Kanae taught her.
Foresight: She inherited the ability to predict the opponent's moves by studying the Hayashizaki style from Kanae. However compared to Kazuki and Kanae she is still a beginner. She has shown to be able to utilize foresight skillfully but she is still lacking greatly in experience. Despite this she was able to use her talents to protect herself and her teammates during the Election Tournament.
Etymology[]
- Kamiizumi means "above, top, upper" (上) (kami) and "spring, fountain" (泉) (izumi).
- Iori means "that one" (伊) (i) and "weave, weaving" (織) (ori).