Robin Li

Robin Li is the headmaster and Director of academy Calia Nova. She is a mentor to Violet and a retired Hero.

## Personality

Robin is reserved and often very awkward, particularly around Violet. She can can be cold and commanding at times as well, particularly when interacting with the Senior Staff in Chapter 4, though she does have a warmth for those close to her. She is very sentimental, having several photographs of her past friends, particularly Verbena and deceased Maximus, as well as a study filled with mementos from her past missions. She appears to be somewhat of a loner in the present and may even sleep in her study, shown in Chapter 3 when James' call wakes her at her desk.

## Ability/Gift

Robin's Gift is Weapons Mastery and she is particularly in-tune with her sword, which she can summon at will.

## Background

Robin met Verbena as a teenager, who introduced her to Maximus, and the three of them became good friends and started a Hero team together. They would eventually rise to massive popularity and become known as one of the best Hero teams of all time, with Maximus as Earth's #1 hero. Verbena and Robin were particularly close at this time. Their team would come to an abrupt end when Maximus was killed during a fight. This drove a permanent wedge between Robin and Verbena. Verbena was so shaken by the events- as well as the public's tasteless reaction to his death-that she renounced the Hero industry as a whole and permanently retired, and her and Robin lost contact. Robin was instead motivated to establish Calia Nova, spending over a decade recruiting her Senior Staff and creating the academy.

In Chapter 5 it was revealed Robin suffered a grievous wound in a fight, almost severing her connection with her CORE and permanently damaging her connection with her Gift. She now struggles to use it at all and is much weaker than she once was.

## Story

Robin Li first appears as an audience member at the Hero Tournament on Earth, scoping new talent. This is where she first meets Violet, a contestant, and eventually recruits her as a student for Calia Nova. While they discuss Verbena runs over to Violet and quickly recognizes Robin as her long-lost friend from so many years ago. They reunite. Robin introduces Violet to the school campus and gives a speech for incoming and returning students.

In Chapter 3, Robin begins mentoring Violet in combat, as Violet struggles the most heavily in this area. Her injury is hinted at here when she is struck by pain and loses control of her sword, though Violet is too star-struck to notice. As they continue to train together, Robin starts to doubt Violet's abilities, even going so far as to wonder aloud if she is wasting her time teaching her. At the end of Chapter 3 James calls her to report his findings about a villain group, possibly tying her to their leader.

In Chapter 4 Jax discovers Robin having a secret meeting with Ionia and James about an unnamed woman's galactic conquest. The conversation turns to Violet and they discuss her progress in individual lessons. Robin criticizes her lack of progress. Jax disrupts this meeting and demands to know why she wasn't involved and they have a tense discussion that ends with Jax storming out of the room. Ionia urges Robin to reconcile, but Robin says Jax is too set in her ways to listen.

After Violet casts a spell way out of her ability range and faints, Robin meets Ionia and Violet in the infirmary. Robin tells the both of them that Violet will proceed as planned with her scheduled exam and Ionia pleads with her to reconsider, citing Violet's potentially fragile physical state after her incident in class. Robin remains firm and Ionia eventually acquiesces. When walking Violet back to her dorm, she tells her to take it easy, and appears apprehensive after Violet leaves.

In Chapter 5 she encounters Violet again when Violet was walking around campus the night before her exam, too nervous to sleep. Violet begs Robin to duel her one last time for extra practice, citing the new hero armor Finn made her as a reason she wouldn't have to hold back, and Robin eventually agrees. They spar and for the first time Robin is caught off-guard, Violet gaining the upper hand. When Robin attempts to execute a more advanced maneuver she has a flare-up of pain and collapses to the ground, clutching her stomach. Violet rushes over to her, unsure of what to do as Robin struggles up. Robin confides in Violet that she was badly wounded in a fight years ago that almost severed her connection to the CORE, the source of all Gifts and Abilities, and left her barely able to access it at all. Because of this she's extremely weakened and unable to perform most of what she once could, describing herself as "a shadow of the Robin Li your mother once knew". She tells Violet to let her be and remains, alone, at the Sky Arena.

Later Robin waits outside of the Exam Monitoring room where Jax oversees the exam, possibly wanting to reconcile, but before she is able to she is approached by Korkora. They have a somewhat tense start to their conversation that quickly turns into a discussion between friends, where they talk about the "situation" they're all in and about Jax's devotion to the school as well as her resentment toward Robin. The conversation ends with Robin inquiring about Korkora's family and telling him he'll be able to visit his Homeworld after the exam.

## Relationships

### Verbena

Robin and Verbena were once extremely close, though the events in their career drove them apart. Robin seems to idolize Verbena, describing her as "spontaneous, bright, and brilliant... the kind of person who's impossible to ignore". Robin appears to still be quite fond of Verbena, remembering the exact amount of time passed since they last spoke in Chapter 1 and mentioning her constantly. It's unsure of the sentiment is reciprocated to the same degree. They reconnected when Robin recruited Violet to be a part of Calia Nova.

### Violet

Violet is Robin's protégé. Robin appears to have a particular interest in her for reasons currently unknown. Robin is often very awkward around Violet, possibly due to her somewhat complicated relationship with her mother, though she eventually warms to her.

### James

James is a member of the Senior Staff of Calia Nova. Robin and James knew each other before Calia Nova was established. They appear to be the closest associates, though not exactly friendly to each other. James gives Robin extra intel his Bureau of Galactic Peace gains.

### Ionia

Ionia is another member of the Senior Staff. She appears to be very intimidated by Robin.

### Jax

Jax is another member of the Senior Staff. While her and Robin were once friends, Jax appears to dislike Robin now, treating her with hostility especially when she learns she has been meeting with other members in secret.

### Korkora

Korkora is the final member of the Senior Staff. He and Robin appear to have a cordial relationship.

## Trivia

* Robin may have a work addiction based on other's descriptions of her and how she is shown falling asleep at her desk.