Sherry Cromwell

* Anime
* Novel
* Manga
* Imaginary Fest

**Sherry Cromwell** (シェリー・クロムウェル, *Sherī Kuromuweru*?) is a magician whose affiliated with 0th Parish of the Anglican Church, Necessarius. A woman with an incredibly wild and slovenly appearance, she is the sect's talented decoder. She is a magician that utilizes Kabbalistic principles to create her own brand of magic. A self-proclaimed woman who has *"as many convictions are there are stars,"* she is first introduced in *Toaru Majutsu no Index* as an antagonistic character but becomes a key ally to Touma and company later on.

## Appearance

She’s over 25 years old, has blond hair and brown skin that’s inherited from foreign blood, her hair is all messy, maybe due to the way it was maintained as if it was a cheap wig for a play. If it’s were seen from the back, it would be like a lion full of mane. The pitch-black clothing has frills all over the edges; it’s completely of a gothic style. However, the fabric of the dress is tattered all over the place, and the lace is slightly yellowish. Seems like this clothing isn’t deliberately worn for the occasion, but is worn as usual wear.

While she is in the Anglican Church Women's Dormitory, she normally just wears a light double negligee.

## Personality

Due to her traumatic experiences, Sherry Cromwell is a troubled and self-proclaimed woman who has *"as many convictions are there are stars,"* and has been shown to be quite conflicted, wanting to take vengeance on her dead friend, but also not actually wanting to bring harm to others. What's consistent that is she just didn't want to lose her friend. Sherry is also a brusque woman, with a tone of voice that is described as being both man and woman, as well as having a ridiculously heavy sound, as if she was a songstress who damaged her vocal cords due to smoking. Despite knowing Kanzaki Kaori, she refers to her carelessly as a Far East girl, and to Lucia and Angelene as Nun number 1 and Nun number 2, respectively. However, perhaps it was this quirk that allowed her to quickly force Orsola Aquinas out of her oafishness when conversing with her in important matters.

In her free time, she sleeps in, and does sculpting, after renting out another room in the dorms for the sole purpose of sculpting, which she can get into to the point that she will forget breakfast.

## Background

She was apparently a member of Necessarius even when she was a child. Twenty years prior to the start of the series, Sherry was part of a secret cell, that was created within the Anglican Church to create a Magician-Esper hybrid. She was the one who taught the esper known as Ellis Warrior, a child like her, magic and spell, and became good friends with him. However, when Ellis tried to use magic, the contradictions between magic and AIM proved fatal for Ellis, which burst his blood vessels and severely injuring him. At which point, operatives of the Knights of England came and destroyed the institution that Sherry and Ellis were in after the higher-ups of the Anglican Church realized that they were in contact with the science side, under the pretext of preventing the leakage of magic teachings and secrets, however, the true intention was because they didn't want magic to have any contact with science. The knights then killed Ellis, who used himself as a shield providing Sherry enough time to escape. The event traumatized Sherry, leading her to have suspicion over both the magic and science sides coming together, and dedicated her magic name and her golem in his name, due to the fact that he was the first thought that came into her mind. She also sculpts statues and busts of him in her free time.

In the course of her life, she has attained the highest honor of emblems restoration and interpretation at the Royal Academy of Arts, and is referred to as its head. She often does lectures to the students there. She is so renowned that the British Museum and St. George's Cathedral would ask her to do some artistic identification and restoration.

## Chronology

### Toaru Majutsu no Index

#### Kazakiri Hyouka Arc

*Main article: Kazakiri Hyouka Arc*
Sherry is lured into Academy City by Aleister Crowley to complete a part of his plan into controlling the Imaginary Number District, through its key, Kazakiri Hyouka. It is unknown how Aleister lured her, as she did not know that Kazakiri Hyouka was the Key of the Imaginary Number District. What can be deduced is that Aleister used her suspicions between the magic and science sides causing another tragedy similar to what has happened twenty years ago, with information regarding the Index Librorum Prohibitorum being in the possession of the Imagine Breaker, as well as the Key to the Imaginary Number District. According to Tsuchimikado Motoharu, Sherry was a puppet who thought that she was fighting against the evil power in order to protect her own world. She intended to start a war with each other, but as the self-proclaimed woman who has *"as many convictions are there are stars,"* she had great doubts and conflicting motivations, one of which was just wanting to make both magic and science side think they were going into the war in order to isolate themselves from each other, up to wanting to stop. However, one common conviction furthers all others, which is that she just didn't want to lose her dear friend.

Before 7 AM, Sherry Cromwell breaks into Academy City, making no secret that she is from the Church of England. Tsuchimikado Motoharu notifies this to Aleister Crowley with the intention of facing and killing her, to preserve the balance between the two sides, at the expense of outing himself publicly as a spy. He is however told by Aleister Crowley he need not raise his hand as her appearance will result in shortening his plan in controlling the Imaginary Number District, with the use of the Imagine Breaker, Kamijou Touma. She breaks through the entrance of Academy City, injuring 15 people and critically injuring three others in her way in, forcing Academy City's Automatic Alert System to turn code red, forcing Judgment to look for her. She is inevitably found by Shirai Kuroko, who engages her in battle after warning civilians. At first, Sherry is taken aback by Kuroko's teleportation abilities and is quickly pinned down by her. However, she quickly turns the tables and locks her into the ground using Golem Ellis, disabling her teleportation due to the pain. Sherry then summons an arm to finish her, but if it wasn't for the timely arrival of Misaka Mikoto, who destroys arm. Due to Sherry's quick thinking, she uses the golem arm as a distraction, and in its destruction, gives enough smoke and dust to conceal her escape.

After getting away from them, Sherry uses her pastel chalk to summon Golem Ellis in the form of small eyes and later uses Automatic Writing to discover the name of the Key of the Imaginary Number District. She orders the golem eyes to search for the name that her Automatic Writing has made out. She apparently wandered around in or near the mall, as Judgment and Anti-Skill have ordered an immediate evacuation order. She later finds them in the School District 7 Underground Shopping Center, and much to her glee, she finds them together. She immediately attacks the mall, forcing the mall to close its and shutters. She is then forced to contend with Anti-Skill, and with the use of Golem Ellis, completely overwhelms them. She later meets Touma and spouts on how it doesn't need to be him that she has to kill. She makes no effort to hide that she is from the Anglican Church, introducing herself from it to Touma, surprising him, as Index came from the same denomination. Here, Sherry declares that she wants war, and wants a reason for it, telling him that she wants as many people as it is possible to know. She orders Golem Ellis to attack, but to protect Touma, the still able-bodied Anti-Skill attack with their rifles, chipping away at it, but to no avail. While the hail of bullets fly, Touma hears footsteps behind him to discover Kazakiri Hyouka. As the battle goes on, debris hits her square in the face, utterly obliterating a side of her head. Here, Sherry too is stunned and watches as Hyouka breaks down. In her terror, however, she runs towards the wrong direction, to which Sherry orders Golem Ellis to attack her, downing her, but she somehow survives and runs away again. Interested, Sherry orders Ellis to follow her and destroys the surrounding walls as so Touma and the others will not interfere, though just simply slowing down Touma and the Anti-Skill's advance.

Sherry eventually locates Hyouka after she has recovered her wounds, and attacks her again, injuring her, but quickly recovers. Sherry is surprised that the Key to the Imaginary Number District is in the form of a timid girl. Hyouka asks Sherry why she is doing such a cruel thing, to which she says that there is no particular reason, that it needs to be her, but killing her is the quickest way. Seeing Hyouka's expression, Sherry tells her that she is not human, and demonstrates it by having her golem destroy a part of itself and then regenerate, just like what happened with Hyouka. She concludes that she and Ellis are the same, monsters. As Hyouka falls into despair and cries, Sherry tells her that she shouldn't cry, as it is unseemly for a monster like her to cry, and orders Ellis to attack Hyouka. However, Sherry discovers that Touma has arrived just in time to dispel the golem, and saves Hyouka. With the golem destroyed, Sherry quickly draws up a new one and comments on how Hyouka should celebrate on how there is at least one idiot in the world who would protect her. However, Touma says to her that he is not alone, and much to Sherry's surprise, the Anti-Skills she defeated appear before her, rifles were drawn and flashlights set upon her.

Sherry commands Ellis to attack, however, the Anti-Skill go into formation, protect Touma and Hyouka, and start firing at the golem. it chips it slowly but is unable to move forward through the onslaught. Sherry commands the golem to force itself through, as such, it begins to move, and slowly gets used to the barrage of bullets. Sherry, however, notices that the Anti-Skill and Touma are planning to do something, and waves her pastel chalk frantically to give the golem's steps more focus. The Anti-Skill then cease their firing in order to let Touma through. The unstable Ellis is ordered by Sherry to attack, to which it does so, attacking the ground Touma is in, delaying his progress. It raises its fist again, and Touma bends down towards the opening between the golem's legs as it tries to maintain its balance. With that, the Anti-Skill resume firing, and Touma confront Sherry. She can't move Ellis as she will only get his by the bullets and seeing Touma, notes on how they are both trapped by the hail of gunfire by the Anti-Skill, but Touma says he doesn't need to and just needs for her to sleep quietly, punching her in the face, and negates Sherry's control of the golem.Touma tries to negate the golem, but then notices Sherry drawing a magic circle on the ground, making Touma believe that she's making another one. Sherry tells Touma that she cannot create and sustain two at the same time, and says that even if she tried, it will collapse like mud. However, she says that if she uses that principle, she can create a useful effect. With that, the ground under Sherry collapses, and she escapes, creating another golem, and destroying the one above.

With that, Sherry continues on with a new golem, after destroying mud eyes to search for Index, her new target. Since Touma destroyed Sherry's levitation spell that prevents her from being affected by the shaking gait of her golem, she uses Ellis to carry her. Sherry later allows Hyouka to pass her by, as well as set up traps for Touma. And then later, as she sees Touma coming towards her way in the underground levels, uses her magic to make a pillar collapse next to him. Sherry tells Touma that she has let Ellis go first and taunts him that it might've already found its target. Sherry continues to taunt Touma, telling him to be her opponent, as so he won't be able to save Index. Touma asks Sherry why she is causing a rift between the balance of magic and science. Sherry answers and talks about on how espers self-destruct when using magic. She tells Touma of the tragic fate of her friend, Ellis, the first attempt at a successful Magician-Esper hybrid. With this, Sherry says that the magicians in their magic side and the scientists in their science side cannot co-exist together and that if they do not set up clear boundaries between each other, tragedies such as what happened to Ellis twenty years ago will happen again. Touma is confused about how contradictory she is being but then realizes that Sherry doesn't want them to start a war between each other, but only have them assume that they are in a brink of war. This angers Sherry and summons several magic circles on the walls and ceilings of the underground tunnel, an ambush. As the tunnel begins to collapse, however, Touma notices the magic circle near Sherry on the floor. Discovering that it is the one made to protect her, Touma charges towards it and negates it, forcing Sherry to stop the spell. However, as she was distracted, Touma is able to punch her in the face.

Sherry completely breaks down, knowing that her wish can no longer be fulfilled and that what she is doing is useless folly. She calls upon her magic name and charges towards Touma with her pastel chalk. Here, Touma realizes that another belief of Sherry's, and that is she wanted someone to stop her. And with that, Touma destroys Sherry's pastel, and punches her face, destroying her illusion.

In the original novel, Touma ties Sherry down, before leaving. After Touma leaves, Sherry regains consciousness and wonders why she isn't dead. She wonders what belief out of many will pop out of her. She understands Touma's pleas, but contradictory thought-forms out of her. As she moves, another pastel chalk falls out of her, and in her many convictions, gives out a meaningless order, to either destroy the target or abort the mission. Due to the events later, it can be assumed that Sherry was unable to restore long-distance manipulation to Ellis.

Archbishop Laura Stuart later negotiates with Aleister Crowley on Sherry's fate after her attacks.

#### Orsola Aquinas Rescue Arc

*Main article: Orsola Aquinas Rescue Arc*
Sherry is referred to as being unable to decode the Book of the Law despite her skills.

#### Daihasei Festival Arc

*Main article: Daihasei Festival Arc (Index)*
It is revealed that due to Sherry's combat and decoding capabilities, the Archbishop gave her a generous disposition. She is punished with shutting her in and letting her do document arrangements to reflect on her actions.

She is shown to have calmed down, able to talk casually with Orsola Aquinas. Here, she and Orsola are in the British Library, tasked to aid Stiyl Magnus in finding information regarding the Croce di Pietro. She later berates Orsola for bringing and eating muffins in the library, which was given to her by the Amakusa-Style Remix of Church. The contact between them and Stiyl is disconnected, to which he hypothesizes the reason Necessarius has become so lively is because of Touma.

Sherry is not to be found later when Orsola tries to contact Stiyl, but she and Orsola have apparently managed to search for the suitable constellations that are used by the Croce di Pietro.

#### Academy City Invasion Arc

*Main article: Academy City Invasion Arc*
In England, Sherry is seen in the laundry room of their woman's dormitory. Wearing only a negligee, she tries to cut a chess piece, while her fellow dorm mates try to figure out how the high-tech washing machine that was given by Academy City to them works. Sherry says that they only need to wash their clothes in the river, though she is told by Kanzaki Kaori that it would be an environmental problem. After Kanzaki comments on how their laundry is in storage, Sherry states that the storage cabinet is guarded by triple magic locks, and states that she doesn't want to unlock it.

Sherry witnesses Kanzaki not wearing any underwear under her yukata, and later, as they watch as their laundry and Kanzaki's obi is being washed, Sherry comments on how her obi, which has fading colors, should be washed separately and asked Kanzaki if her obi would be all right. Kanzaki goes nuts and tries to stop the washing machine, but it goes haywire and she is drenched by the liquid.

#### Anglican Church–Russian Orthodox Church Prewar Conference

*Main article: Anglican Church–Russian Orthodox Church Prewar Conference*

Sherry goes out of her workshop sleep derived, apparently working on her sculptures all night long, and missing breakfast. Sherry asks Kanzaki if there's still breakfast, to which she replies that there isn't any left but says to her that if she asks Orsola nicely she will surely make her something. Sherry then tells Kanzaki of her work named Ellis, after she sees her snooping. She says that the sculpture is a failure as well, to which Kanzaki asks if that is the name of the spell she uses. Sherry relates to her on how she chose the name for it, and later leaves to the dining hall afterward, leaving Kanzaki who feels that a heavyweight is upon Sherry.

Sherry continues eating as Sasha Kreutzev visits the dorm, and comments on how Sasha is apparently wearing a swimsuit even during the summer, who overhears her comments and curses Vasilisa, her superior for it. She is later stopped by Kanzaki from speaking and exacerbating Sasha's fury. She later introduces Sasha to everyone in the dining hall. As the discussion slips into which side they, the women of the dorm, will ally themselves in, she and the others give Sasha a suspicious expression. Later, Sherry listens to Orsola as she gives her opinion regarding the matter to which she says that they will do remains the same, and that is to help people even if there is war, and references Touma being able to save people even without power. Orsola concludes that it is not up to the whole to decide which path to take, but it is up to the individual members and states that there should be a third option where there is a happy ending where no one is defeated, for the sake of Touma's expectations.

#### Acqua of the Back Arc

*Main article: Acqua of the Back Arc*
Sherry performs a lecture on heraldry in Royal Academy of Arts when she is called out by the clerk, who tells her that someone is calling from the British Library. Here, Sherry discovers that it is Orsola Aquinas, who reports about Acqua of the Back of God's Right Seat. Orsola mentions that Acqua has been witnessed as someone worked previously in England, and is referred to as a Knight, which worries Sherry as it would mean Academy City might have to question the Anglican Church's role with regards to a Knight of England. Orsola notes, however, that there is no record of him in the Buckingham Palace, to which Sherry guessed that the information might be false. Orsola however says that it is true that he is not in the list of knights, but she tells Sherry that for someone to be a knight there should be some shield heraldry that symbolizes their family background. Orsola then says that there has been a canceled order from a heraldry manufacturer outside of London from an unknown person. Sherry is intrigued, as that means that she could extrapolate information regarding the mysterious Acqua of the Back using the heraldry. Orsola sends a fax copy of the heraldry pattern to Sherry. With a simple look, Sherry recognizes the meaning of the symbolic animals and legendary creatures in the heraldry and says that the person was unhappy at being chosen as a knight.

She states on how the Royal Family has invited him, tried to reject the offer but failed, and simply accepted the title begrudgingly. She tells Orsola that the man must've been an active fighter as a free man before becoming a Knight. He was a mercenary that was later appointed as a Knight. Sherry then discovers that the order was canceled ten years ago. Sherry says to Orsola that the person was born in England, was a mercenary that greatly contributed to Great Britain, and was primed to be nominated into being a Knight, and orders her to search for information on English mercenaries. Sherry's knowledge helps discover the identity of Acqua of the Back as William Orwell.

#### British Royal Family Arc

*Main article: British Royal Family Arc*
Before the start of the Civil War, Sherry meets up with Itsuwa in the lost article storage room after the latter successfully traps Bayloupe in one of the labyrinthine halls of Necessarius that is used for training. Here, Sherry notes that the facility has been toned down a bit since its use. Itsuwa apologizes to Sherry for calling her at such a late hour, to which she states that she doesn't mind as she is not a nun who follows some ridiculous rule. Sherry is bothered that she might have to help the Knights of England, but pays no heed to it, and asks Itsuwa the reason she called her. She analyzes the case that Itsuwa took from Bayloupe, and discovers that it can apparently change shape and is of Norse origin. Itsuwa accidentally taps on the beaten up case, which opens itself up, and at that point, it transforms into a large 10-meter long canoe. After commenting and comparing Itsuwa's clumsiness to Orsola, Sherry concludes that the case is a magical item that mimics the legendary Skíðblaðnir of Norse mythology. Sherry states that it is not the case or boat that is important, but the thing that it carried. Itsuwa says that in her battle with Bayloupe, she determined that it was not a dummy since she was protecting and carrying it fiercely and carefully. Sherry states that it may not be a dummy, and tells Itsuwa that she might investigate but suggests that she should go talk to Agnese first who is investigating New Light's base in Edinburgh. With that, she bids Itsuwa farewell and says that she should head back aboveground and get rid of the rest of New Light.

## Abilities

Her magic name is *Intimus115*, "I offer everything to my lost friend" (我が身の全ては亡き友のために, *Waga mi no subete wa naki tomo no tame ni*?). Sherry is a decorated interpreter of the Royal Academy of Arts, attaining the highest honors of emblems restoration and interpretation. She is a highly valuable member of Necessarius, for her expertise in decoding and analyzing. She has the ability to decode grimoire codes hidden inside paintings; things like pigments, thickness, the theme of the paintings, any specific details can be converted into something that has a certain meaning to it. Thus, many times, the interpretations of the emblems are discovered to be wrong hundreds of years later. As such, if Index can be said to be the keeper of knowledge, then Sherry’s expertise is in decoding, to seal or interpret them.

### Golem Ellis

#### Primary Functions

Well versed in Kabbalah idols, her primary magic used for combat is to summon **Golem Ellis** (ゴーレム＝エリス, *Gōremu Erisu*?), a 4-meter tall golem named after her late friend. According to Index, Sherry apparently attempted to create an angel of dirt using the golem, like an angel that looks like a human from the outside. The head, right arm, left arm, legs were all created in the image of a Cross, each side assigned with the power of the four Archangels, although it is not perfect as it is impossible for humans to create angels. Using her pastel chalk to write a magic circle on a solid surface, Sherry can create a golem anywhere by quickly drawing a magic circle with her chalk. The golem is made of the material in its surroundings, such as concrete, iron gates, wires, and apparently even human body parts. There is a secret code or core inside the golem that allows Sherry to control it, if this core is ever destroyed, the golem too will be destroyed. It is also a safety measure, which allows Sherry to force the golem to self-destruct; by stroking it a bit with a finger, the golem will cease functioning, preventing the golem from going rampant. Sherry can feel through the golem's five senses as if they were their own.

Thanks to this she can control the golem from afar with her pastel chalk, though she can also have it run automatically. However, automatic mode will not allow her to take control of the golem anymore. With a wave of the pastel chalk, Sherry can make the golem take in surrounding materials for regeneration, or she can set it to recover automatically every three seconds after substantial damage. The golem has the ability to use anything around it to assimilate itself and repair any wounds. On the other hand, if things that are unnecessary or even harmful to the structure are thrown to it, the self-repair system will have an error. Sherry can control the golem through mental commands without using her chalk, but this method it's mentally draining. It's implied that the golem is capable of performing menial tasks outside battle, such as doing Sherry's laundry.

#### Secondary Functions

By drawing a magic circle in the air, through the alignment of the four archangels that are represented in the limbs of the golem, Sherry can force it to move. In both manga and anime adaptations, the spell apparently forces the golem to regenerate using surrounding materials.

Using the same method of creating a golem, Sherry can create several mud eyes for searching, monitoring, and espionage. Normally, the caster can only create one such stone golem, but if there’s only one eyeball, the composition to create a stone golem will drastically decrease, allowing the caster to create even more of it. The eyes allow Sherry to see what it sees, as well as allow it to send out her voice. The eyes can apparently either blend into or phase through solid objects. Furthermore, through the use of the spell to create another golem, Sherry can use it to allow the surface upon which the magic circle for summoning her golem to collapse, since she can only manage to summon one golem, and creating another one would make the surface and the present golem collapse.

### Other abilities

* **Oil pastel chalk** - The magic item is primarily used by Sherry to create magic circles to summon her golem and control it. However, it can also apparently cut through solid objects if needed by her for use as the golems materials.
* **Automatic Writing** - The spell prompts her to move automatically move her hand and write on paper information unknown to her.
* **Levitation Spell** - She can also use a levitating spell, which prevents her from losing balance from the tremors produced whenever Ellis attacks or walks. This spell has the side effect of slightly absorbing physical impacts

## Character Art Designs

### Design Evolution

Sherry Cromwell was a result of Haimura's effort in producing a variety of characters that are not "moe". Although the overall theme of Sherry's design remains intact, her first preliminary design had her with a different face and clothes, most specifically, she is taller and her clothes are less detailed.

By volume 12, Sherry becomes more deformed to suit Haimura's new art style for the series' characters.

### Gallery

Design by Haimura Kiyotaka for Volume 6.Design of Sherry Cromwell and her Golem Ellis by Haimura Kiyotaka for Volume 6.Design of Sherry wearing her casual clothes in Necessarius girls dormitory room by Haimura Kiyotaka for Volume 12.