Tachibana Kaoru

### Equipment

**Casting Assistant Device** *(術式補助演算機 Jutsushiki Hojo Enzan-ki , lit. Operative Auxiliary Computing Machine)*

**Tachibana Kaoru** *(橘かおる Tachibana Kaoru)* is a Level 0 and a Skill-Out. She is the leader of the Skill-Out Group known as ARANEA. After the failed operation to take over Academy City under the manipulation of The EYE, she and the rest of ARANEA joined CERBERUS. She is known to be the most talented user of the **Casting Assistant Device** *(術式補助演算機 Jutsushiki Hojo Enzan-ki , lit. Operative Auxiliary Computing Machine)*.

Much of her past is shrouded in mystery, but she is a known victim of bullying that occurs in Academy City due to the discrimination of Level 0's and Level 1's. Forming ARANEA due to her deep rooted hatred of the higher level Espers that put her in that position.

## Personality

She is described to possess more masculine behavioral traits and habits more than feminine qualities, this was partly due to her rough past in Academy City and her experience in the Skill-Out community in which one has to be rough and persistent to survive in. At one point she even forgot that she was a girl and went on to have plenty of girlfriends, something that she still gets embarrassed about when mentioned.

She absolutely hates the discrimination that Level 0's are being given due to their lack of talent in being an Esper. She becomes even more depressed when the revelation that there was such thing as real magic and was told the harsh truth that she couldn't even perform magic due to being an esper. Which was why she takes a lot of pride in her abilities as a "Spell" Caster, something that she is finally good at.

However behind all the masculine behavior is a depressed girl who just wants the bullying and discrimination to end. She has been torn, beaten down, humiliated and defiled all because she was a Level 0. Which translates over to her low sense of self-esteem, especially when it comes to her body. Since she had to go through rigorous bodybuilding, strength, and combat training to even survive in the Skill-Out community as a girl. She tends to be embarrassed or puts herself down and often states that boys wouldn't want to even date such a masculine girl like her.

She becomes calmer and less bashful after joining CERBERUS as one of the Right Heads. She is fiercely loyal to Eiichiro, treating him as if he was a gang boss *(derived from her personal experience as a gang member)*. However behind of all that gang like personality, are both admiration and affections. She is clearly in love with him, but denies it herself thinking that he too wouldn't like her because of her body. This view was then changed when she overheard that she was special to him (although Eiichiro stated that all of CERBERUS was very special to him).

## Appearance

Kaoru is a tall girl, taller than most Japanese girls. She's tan with short chocolate brown hair that goes down to her nape and barely brushing her shoulders. Her most striking feature is her muscular body gained from constant bodybuilding, strength and combat training, as well as experience from being a member in the Skill-Out Society. She has a nice bust and strong thick legs that she uses for strong kicks.

She mostly wears clothes meant for men, and is rarely wearing any female clothing aside from when she goes on covert missions or when she embarrassingly tries them in front of a mirror. Joining CERBERUS hasn't changed that much from her in terms of appearance wise. It is when Eiichiro told her that he didn't mind her body, she grew her hair and tied it into a pony-tail and would often wear more girly clothes such as one piece strapless sundresses.

## Powers and Abilities

Kaoru is one of the few rare Espers that have intelligence that didn't match their Level, which baffled both her teachers and the scientists that were in charge of researching her. Normally, an esper like Kaoru whose intelligence is quite high has a better chance of obtaining a Level 4 status easily. She is however very intelligent and resourceful, as displayed by her many exploits in the Skill-Out Community. That intelligence however can be easily clouded by her reckless and bashful behavior. She is also an extremely skilled and experienced street fighter, having gone through multiple gang fights herself. Being able to handle several Level 3-4 Espers in a winning fight while equipped with the **Casting Assistant Device** *(術式補助演算機 Jutsushiki Hojo Enzan-ki , lit. Operative Auxiliary Computing Machine)*.

She naturally fits into a leadership role and seems to exude the charismatic aura of a true leader. Her abilities and strength are highly regarded and respected among her peers at ARANEA to the point one can say she's viewed as the highest standard for them.

### Physical Abilities

Physically, having trained in combat under pressuring situations and with the experience of gang fights, it is said that Koaru's street fighting and brawling ability is second to none and is evaluated to be a master class brawler. Despite being best at long-ranged combat when using "magic", she is almost unmatched in street combat, due to her physical abilities. Her physical abilities are so great that even without the use of "magic" she can even match men that are a lot bigger, bulkier and heavier than her.

Her fighting capability is stated many times to be the result of countless fights she was involved in with other delinquents. She also has an incredible amount of stamina. She also possesses a high threshold of pain, having been accustomed to it after all the fights she has been through. Koaru is also very fast and has great reflexes that allow her react to attacks. Kaoru has been in so many fights that she can subconsciously anticipate the attacks coming her way. Moreover, probably combined with her reflexes and the courage to keep her body and thoughts moving, this allows her to judge accurately what to do next.

Kaoru has also displayed an aptitude for fighting cleverly against more conventionally-armed foes. She has been in so many fights that she can subconsciously anticipate the attacks coming her way. Moreover, probably combined with her reflexes and the courage to keep her body and thoughts moving, this allows her to judge accurately what to do next.

### Perfect Memory

It has been later found out by the researchers at The EYE, that her intelligence was more based on memorization than information processing. They stated that she could memorize an entire book and still remember it's contents clearly 60 years later, however her ability to process the information and understand it wholeheartedly is what's bringing her down. As espers must completely understand a certain law and use that in conjunction with the bypassing of the Uncertainty Principle to bring about the phenomenon, however Kaoru can't wholeheartedly process information and completely understand the underlying nature behind said nature to produce an esper power. Which is the main reason she was stuck as a Level 0.

However it is this Perfect Memory that allowed her to memorize the Activation Sequence of many "magic sequences" and reproduce them from her own Personal Reality and use them as if they were her own Esper Powers. Which became the basis of her personal "spell", **Flash Cast** *(フラッシュ・キャスト Furasshu Kyasuto, lit. Quick Casting)*.

### "Magical" Abilities

She is extremely talented when utilizing the Casting Assistance Device, showcasing incredible dexterity and creativity when using it. Kaoru possesses a memory capacity befitting for a "Spell" Caster. Kaoru's intellect and understanding of "magic" on a theoretical level also allow her to use "magic" in ways that no one else does. It was mentioned that she rivals an entire armored battalion's combat strength for point defense situations when using the Casting Assistance Device. It is because of her memorization that she is able to increase the speed of her spell output, instead of normally relying on the CAD like the rest of ARANEA. Making her a formidable foe in combat even to the Level 5 Espers. Below are notable "spells" she is capable of achieving with "magic".

* **Rupture** *(爆裂 Bakuretsu, lit. Explosion)*: Rupture is a Dispersal Type "spell", which evaporates all liquids within an object. In the case of living organisms, body fluids will evaporate and the body will explode with its red blood cells, organs, flesh and destroyed bones scattering outwards like a crimson flower blooming in the spring. Since nearly all machines have a fluid of some kind, such as lubricants, coolants, hydraulic or battery fluids or liquid fuel, they will instantly be destroyed by explosion or simply stop working. This is the perfect magic for both anti-personnel and anti-armor combat. Its weakness is that it doesn't work against targets that do not have any fluids in them.
* **Bias Release** *(偏倚 解放 Hen'i Kaihō, lit. Biased Liberation)*: Bias Release is a "spell" that creates an explosive shock wave upon contact with the desired target by shooting a compressed block of air. The normal way to use this magic is to compress the atmosphere on one side, than force its release at an angle, at high pressures. Its process is similar to pumping air into one side of a can and sealing it, then opening the other end towards the target. This creates an advantage where the concentrated compressed air would strike with greater force and higher control over the direction of the force than normal air.
* **Aero Hand** *(空力使い Kūryoku Tsukai, lit. Vacuum User)*: Aero Hand is a Convergence Type "spell" that allows Koaru to gather air currents into a sphere in the palm of her hand. Within the sphere, the air currents can be compressed and strengthened before being released all at once. Kaoru has used the explosive release of air from the spheres she creates to propel herself over long distances. She has also used it to create a spherical shield around herself for defense and use the sphere of air currents in a ranged attack for offense. She can even create plasma by further compressing the winds and air currents at high speeds into a single point and fire them in a way similar to Meltdowner.
* **Panzer** *(パンツァー Panzaa, lit. Armor Tank)*: Panzer is a Convergent Systematic Reinforcement Type "spell" that fortifies the position of one physical object in relation to another and fortifying the position of molecules, making them rigid and virtually unbreakable. Koaru primarily uses this to transform her clothing into a suit of armor, strengthen weapons and objects, and even used it to fortify a whole vehicle for a full on frontal assault. She can also further harden her own body by directly applying this magic on herself. Essentially creating a force field that cancels any external force that is inflicted on the body by not accepting external changes in the relative positions of the molecules that make up the body.
* **Counter Magic** *(無系統魔法 Mu Keitō Mahō, lit. Independent Magic)*: Counter Magic is an Oscillation Type "spell" that allows Kaoru to emit soundwaves that disrupts the brain operation of espers. It is a "spell" that was created by Kaoru to replicate the effects of AIM Jammer and Capacity Down, giving her an edge over the espers. The weakness lies in the Level of the Esper however, Level 4 and below will essentially loose their ability to use their powers. Level 5 will have either loose control over their powers or is slightly weakened by it. A Level 6 Esper would more or less be rendered back into a Level 5, although this isn't a permanent effect and will be reverted when no longer exposed to the soundwaves.r.
* **Flash Cast** *(フラッシュ・キャスト Furasshu Kyasuto, lit. Quick Casting)*: Flash Cast is an original "Magic Casting Techniques" that was made possible by memorizing the images of the Activation Sequence into her memory. With the Activation Sequence being mentally carved into her brain, she can directly recall the Activation Sequence from memory without the aid of a CAD and directly start the process of creating "Magic Sequences" in the brain. This essentially eliminates the time spent converting AIM Signals into electric signals, processing of the electric signals through the CAD, and then sending of those signals into her Personal Reality.
* **Phalanx** *(ファランクス Farankusu, lit. Barrier Wall)*: Phalanx is a Movement Type Defensive "Magic" that isn't simply a sustained barrier, but a multi-layered barrier that continuously refreshes itself. This is similar to a dense formation of heavy infantry that marches as one to increase the group's defensive power and then translates that power into offense. The barrier blocks any power deployed by an esper. It is also useful against physical attacks. The barrier can also be fired out and launched as an offensive attack, being able to use it's impenetrable defensive characteristics as an offense that can knock out anyone physically.
* **Accelerator** *(一方通行 Ippō Tsūkō , lit. One-Way Road)*: Accelerator is a Movement Type "spell" created by Kaoru in efforts to reproduce the original First-Ranked Level 5's esper power using Movement "magic" on vectors. As such, Kaoru is capable of changing the movement of vectors. However she must use her CAD and cannot utilize it with Flash Cast and as such the time needed to deploy this "spell" is far longer than what Accelerator needs to do, considering that Accelerator doesn't have to do the process of "spell" casting like what Kaoru has to do. Making this "spell" a slightly inferior variant of the First Ranked Level 5's Esper Power in terms of speed.

## Items and Equipment

### Casting Assistant Device

Being from ARANEA, she is one of the original users of the **Casting Assistant Device** *(術式補助演算機 Jutsushiki Hojo Enzan-ki , lit. Operative Auxiliary Computing Machine)*. She has been noted many times for being very talented in it's usage and is easily the most proficient user of the technology. She has a total of 36 "magic sequences", and a master of 8 sequences in total. The model she uses is a generalized model that can store more than one activation sequences that allows her to use more than one "spell". She has also shown enough technical ability with the CAD to be able to install more activation sequences manually, whereas others need to install sequences via external help.

## Trivia

Most, if not all of the "spells" used by Tachibana Kaoru are either inspire or from the magic spells from an anime called *Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei*, or Irregular at Magic High School. This also extends to the rest of the ARANEA members, capable of using "spells"; which in this case means reproducing magic under scientific laws.

#### Some extra non-relevant information regarding Tachibana Kaoru that were not added above:

* Her favorite food is a meat salad.
* During her spare time, she tends to her motorcycle or add more "spells" into the CAD.
* She is in the top 3 in her entire school, and a champion in Formula Draw Gameshow.
* Her hobbies are working out and combat practice.
* Her strongest attacks are her right hooks and roundhouse kicks.

Once every four months, the members at CERBERUS undergo a physical check-up from Academy City and United Nations of Magic Society to record the health and status of the members. These are her recorded physical statistics:

* Recorded Weight: 75kg
* Three Size Measurements: 89 (Bust) • 56 (Waist) • 83 (Hips)
* Recorded Physical Strength: 120kg (Squat) • 180kg (Hinge) • 95kg (Push) • 77kg (Pull) • 110kg (Carry)
* Body Type: Inverted Triangle
* Body Fat Percentage: 15% Body Fat