Neoka Norito

**Neoka Norito** (根丘則斗（ねおかのりと）, *Neoka Norito*?) is a former member of the Academy City Board of Directors and a former rescue squad elite.

## Appearance

Looking around 30, Neoka wears a fancy suit, with some muscle tone visible through it. He is described as not having the look of a businessman or executive, but that of a high-profile entrepreneur or film actor, feeling more like a homeroom teacher than a principal or vice-principal.

## Personality

Initially, Neoka appeared as a polite and courteous individual public servant who had the best interest for Academy City. However, this was nothing more than a public façade that he made up to hide his true nature as a rude, arrogant and manipulative man who is willing to hurt even children to get his way. He tries to arrange Last Order's kidnapping to use her as leverage against Accelerator's plan to dismantle the Dark Side.

When doing his plans, Norito is rather cautious and always takes extra steps to account for failure. When Maidono Hoshimi's kidnapping attempt is foiled by Touma and Anti-Skill is coming down on his head, he attempted to escape while setting off a fire and explosion at his home, intending to fake injuries and abuse his connections to make it look like Anti-Skill tried to kill rather than capture him and stall the resulting investigation to get a chance to destroy any incriminating evidence. He claims that the Dark Side is a necessary component of Academy City and its function. Touma refutes this ideal as he knows how.

## Background

He used to be a rescue squad elite before he got deeply involved in Academy City's Dark Side.

## Chronology

### Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index

#### Kamijou Arc

*Main article: Kamijou Arc*
During the Board's meeting in the wake of Aleister's 'death' and the restoration of Academy City after the shutdown and evacuation, Neoka tried to seize the initiative during their discussion, but was interrupted by the arrival of Accelerator, who introduced himself to them as the new Board Chairman.

### Souyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index

#### Christmas Eve Arc

*Main article: Christmas Eve Arc*
On December 24th, with Board Chairman Accelerator preparing to eliminate the Dark Side of Academy City with Operation Handcuffs and standing to lose much from it, Neoka had Maidono Hoshimi attempt to kidnap Last Order to use as a hostage.

After Maidono was defeated by Kamijou Touma and captured, as Anti-Skill made its move, Neoka attempted to escape while set off an explosion and fire in his home, intending to fabricate injuries and make himself look like a victim to have Anti-Skill take the blame, using rules as a shield so their investigation would be halted and he could eliminate the incriminating evidence. Touma, together with Index and Misaka Mikoto, interrupted his escape before he could acquire injuries, prompting Neoka to attempt to kill them to eliminate the witnesses.

While Neoka initially held the upper hand through the use of magic acquired from R&C Occultics, which he presented as an application of the 'Minimum Collision Theory', Touma and Index soon realized the truth, and after Touma called on Othinus, they were able to deal with Neoka's attacks. When Othinus deduced the fact that he used to be in a rescue squad, Neoka spoke of his past and why he believed the city's darkness was necessary, but Touma refuted his reasoning. Discarding his magical tools, Neoka turned to his physical abilities in order to defeat Touma. In a cross-counter, Neoka's fist connected while Touma's didn't, but Touma instead flicked the blood in his hand in Neoka's eyes, buying enough time to use his remaining strength to knock Neoka out before collapsing himself.

They then left Neoka for Anti-Skill arriving from below.

#### Operation Handcuffs Arc

*Main article: Operation Handcuffs Arc*
Neoka was referenced during a phone call between Kihara Hasuu and a member of the Board of Directors during Operation Handcuffs on December 25th. In his response to the director's claim that it was all the new Board Chairman's doing and the twelve of them did not agree, Hasuu told them that there was no need to hide Neoka's fall, adding that although it changed nothing, hiding it made it harder for him to trust them.

## Abilities

Being a former rescue squad elite, Neoka has had considerable physical training, maintaining his physical abilities even after becoming a member of the Board of Directors, is trained in the proper use of rescue equipment (displaying certain visual indications in his movements as a result), and has a degree of medical knowledge, as well as considerable field experience.

Neoka has a degree of the manipulative capability usually possessed by members of the Board of Directors, and he has access to numerous resources and subordinates due to his position, being particularly invested in the Dark Side of Academy City.

### Magic

Through R&C Occultics, Neoka acquired a method of casting magic, which he believes to be a method of utilizing elementary particles, their collisions and collapse, to simplify the world's composition and manipulate visible phenomena, something he mistakenly calls the **Minimum Collision Theory** (最小衝突理論, *Saishō Shōtotsu Riron*?). In truth, it is a method of utilizing the association between the seven metals of antiquity, the seven classical planets, and seven of the ten Sephirah, to reach the twenty-two channels connecting the ten spheres of the Sephiroth, influencing the tree to affect the world.

The technique is described as an adaptation of a **sanctifying vocalization** (聖化発声, *Shōke Hassei*?), with a familiar and tangible metal being used to envision an invisible Sephirah and embedding the extra sphere in the pathways between the existing spheres of the tree (which Othinus described as being like a woodpecker and an extra 'nest') to alter the rules of the world and produce the desired effect. It utilizes the idea that, based on the fact that the Sephirah are guarded by angels, the creation of a fictional angel could be used to create a fictional sphere. The angelic construction is rehashed from a Golden-style method of forming the names of angels, with the cabal inventing and splitting apart 72 of them, to efficiently control the colorless and formless angelic power known as Telesma. This in turn is connected to historical usage of the **Book of Exodus** (出エジプト記, *Shutsuejiputoki*?), which pre-Golden magicians extracted text from and created temporary angels by adding '-el'/'-yah' to the end of it - a simple way of extracting specific meaning from the full text. In Neoka's case, he adds '-el' onto the end of a German word relating to the effect he wishes to produce to make the angel's name.

Neoka uses this magic via a pair of spiritual items, resembling assassination handguns the size of cards, which could be overlooked while being hidden in the user's palms or sleeves. The guns are double-barreled but instead of steel barrels, they have glass containers reminiscent of vacuum tubes. Enclosed within each of these flasks is a girl with a halo, smaller than an index finger, called a **filament** (フィラメント, *Firamento*?) by Neoka. Of similar essence but varying nature, they can easily be dyed in any color, with their hair, clothing and halo changing in response to the user's voice. The guns can make a sound similar to a clockwork contraption.

When using his spells, Neoka speaks the constructed angelic name as well as a command including the metals and path involved (usually after the name); "Construct a fictional port between (Periodic Symbol) and (Periodic Symbol), aka Path (Number)" (e.g. for Wasser (Water) with Mercury (Hg), Silver (Ag) and path 20; "*Wasserel*. Construct a fictional port between Hg and Ag, aka Path 20" (ヴァッサエル。HgとAgの間、すなわち経路20に架空の端子を設けよ, *Wassaeru. Hg to Ag no ma, sunawachi keiro 20 ni kakū no tanshi o mōkeyo*?)). The hair, clothing and halo of a girl in one of the flasks changes in response to the vocal command before coming apart, being unleashed through the gun muzzle in the form of the desired phenomena.

As pointed out by Othinus, Neoka's unoriginal magic has a number of key weaknesses. With one angel in each barrel, he is limited to a stock of four and he needs to state their names when switching from one to another. An attack seen before can be more easily dealt with and the movement of his mouth can provide warning of a new attack. Neoka is also limited by his lack of knowledge and imagination concerning the technique, only caring that it works and provides him with the power he wants.

## Quotes

* (To Kaizumi, from NT Volume 22R): *“We were already in dire need of reform. This is the perfect chance to update all the unnecessary machinery and equipment while laying out new infrastructure. A war just ended and the expansion of public works will help stimulate industrial activity. Let us ride this wave: the great wave of postwar recovery.”*
* (To Mikoto, from GT Volume 1): *“Which means I’ll have to kill all of you. You could have avoided this fate if you hadn’t spied on me here. On the other hand, some dead kids to blame on Anti-Skill is sure to get the bored common folk on my side all the easier.”*
* (To Touma, ibid): *“The darkness was necessary in this city with nowhere to hide!! There must be a dark space beyond prying eyes where people can soothe their wounded minds and bodies before returning to the light once more. I won’t vouch for all of it and I have no interest in letting the dark side take control of Academy City. But still!! There were people who could only find peace of mind in that stagnation!!”*
* (To Touma, ibid): *“I will protect that bedroom full of gentle darkness where the bright sun cannot reach. I will protect that silent cradle where you will never be woken by an unexpected explosion. I will protect that safety net that catches and saves those who slip through the cracks!! It need only be a small portion of the city, but when people reach a point where they want to disappear from this world, there must be a place where they can take their time and rediscover themselves. And I will break any taboo to protect that dark side. I am even willing to become a demon that does not belong in this city of science!!”*