Erik

> I will stop at nothing to make you mine. You are everything, you are my madonna and you will understand why I see the world like this.
>
> Erik to Ophelia Demoiselle

## Media

### First Appearance

"Preludes" (Silhouette)"Music of the Night" (Full)

Erik is a main antagonist in Team OPRA's story. He is a mysterious figure from Ophelia's past. His weapon of choice is a quartz dust rapier and a fire dust glove Called *Red Death* and *Ebony Devil.*

## Appearance

### Physical

Erik is shown to stand at 6'5 and has an unusually thin frame. He has pale, ghoulish-like skin with shin length black hair that is slicked back with a widow's peak, a rectangular head shape with a pointed chin, and one olive green eye with the other covered by a porcelain white half-mask.

In "Down Once More" It is revealed that Half of Erik's face has been severely disfigured with third degree burn scars. On the right side of his face, his skin turns to a fleshy-red colour. Half of his mouth is shown to be burned off, showing the inside of his mouth and teeth. His right eye is also shown to be missing.

### Attire

Erik's attire is shown to be that of a formal black suit with a purple cravat and brown boots. Over that he wears a black cape that has a purple trim on the inside which is then attached to a pair of silver layered pauldrons and also features a collar. On his hands he wears a pair of white dress gloves, one of which has black tips on the ends of its fingers which is one of his weapons, Ebony Devil. To hide the disfigured right half of his face, Erik is shown to wear a porcelain half mask to cover it, which is attached via magnet strips on the top of his head, nose and chin.

### Masquerade - The Red Death

During the Illyrian Masquerade Ball, Erik dresses up as a figure representing the myth of the Red Death. This attire has Erik wear a crimson red suit with a swallow-tail coat, a red and gold side cape, and black boots. Instead of his standard half mask, Erik swaps to a mask that resembles the front facial plates of a human skull. He still retains his dress gloves.

## Personality

At first, Erik is shown to be a mysterious figure that shows devotion and protection to people like Ophelia. However, per the events of Volume 4, Erik is revealed to be an incredibly manipulative, obsessive and violent man. He is extremely sadistic and will go to dangerous lengths to secure something for either himself or someone like Ophelia. Because of this he is not afraid to commit crimes such as murdering innocents, even going so far as a means to scare people into complying with him.

Erik's manipulation has gone to abhorrent and disgusting lengths, such as grooming Ophelia to be his bride from when she was a child by using his skills as a mask to tutor her. Despite this he believes that it is a second chance to be someone more than the monster the world sees him as and Ophelia's compliance with him is the catalyst. Because of this is his also shown to harbour violent jealousy towards people who get between that and will go as far as to injure or kill people in the way.

Deep down however, Erik is revealed to be a broken man who thinks that the world is nothing but cruel towards him. Even if it is unsure what his true vendettas are against others, it can be assumed that all Erik wants is to be treated as more than a monster.

## Background

According to Evangeline Lambert, Erik was once a gifted magician and composer who would perform to the nobles of Remnant. However, he was apparently framed for the murder of a nobleman's son and sentenced to be executed. Shortly before he was set to be hung, Erik escaped and sought refuge in Illyria in the catacombs underneath the Illyrian Opera House.

A few years later, he would meet Ophelia Demoiselle when she was eight and become her tutor, supposedly 'visiting' her in his dreams and taking on the moniker of 'The Angel of Music' after a folktale of the same name.

Despite what Madame Evangeline was told, this background could have been fabricated, as of Erik's revelation to have connections to people such as Mario Demoiselle, Xerxes Jazayeri, Orsino Gladio and Estelle Demoiselle.

## Abilities

Erik is shown to be an incredibly dangerous, violent and skilled combatant. He owns a quartz dust weapon, allowing him to execute enhanced dust attacks alongside rapid strikes and fast movements with his rapier, Ebony Devil. As evident in his fights against Raoul and Ophelia, he can easily manoeuvre and attack an opponent with the sole intent to punish or even kill them.

### Weapons

Erik's weapons are called *Red Death* and *Ebony Devil.* They are the *Quartz Dust Combat Rapier (QDCR)* and the *Laced Fire Dust Glove (LFDG).* Red Death is a rapier blade from gold metal with a brown leather grip. Similarly to Papillon, Red Death has a blade made from the extremely rare quartz dust. This allows him to conduct dust on a greater scale than other dust-using weapons can, thus making his attacks much more deadly. On the pommel of the rapier, Erik can insert single cut dust gems to enhance his attacks, the most common one shown being fire dust.

On his left hand, Erik wears Ebony Devil which is a singular white glove with black tips on the fingers. On the dorsal side of the glove is fire dust cut to resemble Erik's emblem. Through this dust, Erik can conduct and 'cast' a variety of fire based attacks such as spraying fire or hurling a fireball at people, as evident in his fight with Raoul in "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again".

### Semblance

As shown in "Point of No Return", Erik's semblance allows him to manipulate reflections in a variety of ways. He is shown to have almost complete mastery of his semblance, to a point where he can become a reflection as well as mimic the reflections of other people such as Carla Oro. Erik commonly uses his semblance to manipulate and mess with his opponents psychologically.

## Relationships

### Ophelia Demoiselle

Erik was originally shown to have a protective relationship with Ophelia. He is described as being a safe haven for her and guides her as a tutor for her singing. Originally it looked as if Erik wanted the best for Ophelia. During the events of Volume 4 however, Erik and Ophelia's relationship takes a twisted turn for the worse. He begins to grow more controlling and manipulative of her and becomes more prone to violent outbursts towards her, displayed when he hits her after she takes his mask. This eventually devolves into his actions causing Ophelia to attempt suicide.

In the aftermath of this, Erik's intentions towards Ophelia become disgustingly twisted when it is revealed he has been grooming her into becoming his 'bride' since he took her in as a child. Her increased resistance to his advances ultimately culminates in him kidnapping her. In "Point of No Return" it is revealed that Erik has some sort of relationship with Estelle Demoiselle, Ophelia's mother. What this exactly means is unknown but it can be assumed that Ophelia has a deeper connection to it.

### Raoul La Marchand

Immediately upon his introduction, Erik is shown to utterly detest and hate Raoul for merely being in Ophelia's life. Erik begins to become jealous of Ophelia's much healthier and co-dependent relationship with Raoul that he devolves into attempting to kill Raoul just so he could secure Ophelia's love. Despite this, Erik eventually recognises that killing Raoul would forever destroy what he has left with Ophelia, thus leading to him sparing them both and letting them escape during "Point of No Return".

### Yves Delacroix and Giles Andre

Erik is shown to think lowly of Yves and Gilles. He is easily able to manipulate and intimidate them into doing his bidding. Despite this he attempts to keep a business-like relationship with the both of them.

### Evangeline Lambert

It is unknown the true extent of Evangeline and Erik's relationship. Despite showing enough trust in her to have her act as a liaison between him and the workers of the opera house, Erik still seems to lie to Evangeline about his true identity.

### Sable Vedova

As shown at the end of "Point of No Return", Erik and Sable seem to have some sort of history together and are on friendly terms.

### Estelle Demoiselle

As revealed in "Point of No Return", Erik has currently unknown history with Estelle.

## Trivia

### Allusion

* Erik alludes to the character of the same name, otherwise known as The Phantom, from the 1986 musical *The Phantom of the Opera* by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which is based on the book of the same name by Gaston Leroux.
	+ Both have the same first name.
	+ Both wear porcelain masks to hide their disfigurements.
	+ Both show an obsession with a younger female singer.

### Colour Naming Rule

* Erik is a German male name meaning 'Ruler', which brings to mind colours associated with royalty such as purple and gold.