Nika Akabane

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Nika Akabane (赤羽 ニカ *Akabane Nika*) is a student of Tatsuhara Junior High and the second daughter of Karma Akabane and Manami Akabane. She is also the founder of the AkaSquad and one of the protagonists of 'The Mystery of the Akabane Family' and the 'Tales of Tatsuhara: Vigilante Student Council' series.

## Appearance

Nika stands at a height taller than average for her age. She has short, messy black hair and the same eyes as her father Karma, albeit with longer eyelashes. She has an overall relaxed appearance. When she's in a good mood, that is.

At school, she wears a white full-sleeved shirt, an indigo tie and instead of the usual crimson skirt, she opts to wear the pants from her winter uniform regardless of the weather (her point being that she cycles to school and her skirt gets ripped many times. Also because pants are more comfy.). During her tenure as the President of the Student Council, she wore the red armband of leadership on her right arm. She occasionally wears the crimson blazer that is part of the uniform.

At home and everywhere else, she wears casual outfits like t-shirts, jeans, and shorts. She prefers them in the colors white, black, and turquoise. In 'The Mystery of the Akabane family', she is seen wearing a black t-shirt with jeans and a pair of black fingerless gloves.

In the timeskip, she switches to formal outfits at work. She is significantly taller and her hair has grown a little. Her eyes become more relaxed and her eyelashes become longer. She still retains her signature head tilt and smile, albeit it becomes even more threatening.

In the manga extras, she is portrayed as an aristocrat who is secretly a sought - after phantom thief. She wears a white shirt with a red tie, a long midnight blue blazer and pants of the same color. She wears a red belt, black shoes and an indigo mini hat with a red ribbon. She is often seen carrying a ebony brown cane that has a hidden sword.

## Personality

Nika is a bold and charismatic person with a sharp tongue to match. She isn't afraid of what everyone else thinks of her and says exactly what's on her mind. A serious misconception people make while meeting her for the first time is that she's an airhead with her head in the clouds when in reality, she is a rebellious machinator who can absolutely pulverize someone, resulting in them being admitted to the infirmary (and worst case scenario - the hospital) if she feels like it. This was due to an advice given to her by Karma: "If someone lands a blow on you, don't return home without giving one back.".

She is said to be an exact mixture of her parents, Karma and Manami. Like her father, she has a relaxed, teasing and couldn't-care-less attitude, though she inherited his love for math and his strong moral values. Like her mother, she also has a love for learning, and she loves to experiment with nearly everything like food and chemicals, though she does tend to get carried away. This resulted in her being banned from the school laboratory for blowing it up while experimenting with sodium and potassium, her justification being that she wanted to find out if they were the substances put into bombs and explosives.

She is quite efficient in getting things done, and she has natural leadership qualities. This was further proven when she was elected as the President of the Student Council. Although the teachers were afraid that she would turn her section into a revolution academy, their fears were alleviated as she set about destroying the status quo and stopping bullying. This earned her a reputation among her juniors, and they all look up to her. This resulted in her being given the nickname 'President-Sama' (Lord President). She is also steadfast in whatever she believes in and devoted to anything she does or anyone who means the world to her. She wouldn't mind dying if her family and friends could live on. She will also go to any lengths to protect them.

In reality, she is actually a very humble, kind and empathetic person, despite her scary personality. She will be among the first to wish someone a happy birthday and congratulate them on their achievements. She is also rather polite and respectful towards others, even her rivals.

However, beneath the facade, she is rather cynical, and it is hard to gain her trust and hard for her to trust others, due to her own trust having been broken many times, and she can be quite mean and enraged with someone though she may not show it. Although, she still sees everyone in a positive light when meeting them for the first time, such as when she enthusiastically invited Meiryo to her home and family. As the series progresses, she is shown to be more thoughtful and open minded.

## Relationships

**Karma Akabane and Manami Akabane**:

Nika's relationship with her parents is quite mutual. She respects, loves and idolizes them just as much as they love her. From a small age, she was quite possessive of them, and would always try to help them, even if it meant getting in their way. Oftentimes, their family is considered as peculiar by the neighborhood, much to her chagrin and Karma's amusement, and Manami often has to calm her down. She even went to look for Karma when he was kidnapped, despite knowing the police was already searching for him, and this initiated the formation of the AkaSquad. In short, they're there for her when she needs them and vice versa.

**Meiryo Akabane**:

"Whatever you say."

When Nika's parents decided to take Meiryo in, Nika was very excited at the thought of getting a sister. She never questioned where Meiryo was coming from, and did her best to make her feel extra welcome. Meiryo was surprised and confused at why Nika treated her that way in the beginning, but later on, she started to think of Nika as her little sister and of Karma and Manami as her parents. Over time, Meiryo became extremely devoted to her new family and especially to Nika, but still made choices after asking Nika or her parents. However, as the series progressed, she became more independent in her thoughts, which made Nika very happy.

**Shogo Akabane**:

"Why are you worrying about me?! Are YOU okay?!"
"OY, I ASKED YOU A QUESTION, I EXPECT AN ANSWER!"
"SAME HERE!"
"ANSWER ME FIRST!"
"Ughh...FINE! Yes, I'm CLEARLY ALIVE, so why are you bothered?"
"YOU'RE BLEEDING, YOU IDIOT!"

Shogo and Nika are considered as 'the actual siblings' due to their unusually similar personalities. When they first met, they had express instructions to behave politely to everyone they met at the party. However, their 'angelic facade' was busted when they both caught each other in the act of filling the balloons with water (Nika) and dusting the seats with flour (Shogo). They then decided to co-ordinate, and in the end, the party guests ended up going home all messy and Akina declaring that it was the best birthday she ever had. This event led to the start of a long and strong friendship. Both of them have similar ideals and thus, they get along pretty well.

**Aki Akabane**:

"And I'm being reminded that I'm a Nii-chan already by this beautiful, adorable ball of mochi-"
"Hehehe!"

**Kyoma Akabane**:

"If it makes you happy...."
"Nika, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE-"

**Akina Akabane**:

"I'm famous already?"
"Seems like it. But let me introduce myself. I'm Akina Akabane. Your aunt and the one who had a birthday yesterday."
"Oh shoot-"
"Well, next time, try to be a little more - discreet. But, good work all the same. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?"
"WHA-"

**Kiyoshi Okuda**:

"That is something I'm experimenting on..."
"Oooh! CAN I JOIN YOU?!"
"Sure, but if something happens to you, don't even think about putting my name on your insurance claim form."

**Kayami Tsuzekane**:

"Whoop-"

Nika and Kayami share a loving relationship as grand-niece and grand-aunt. Kayami has always been able to put up with her shenanigans whenever they met, mostly due to Kayami having Akina as her daughter.

**Shiromi Sawatari**:

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"Oh yes, I do. With a passion, actually."
"Aw, COME ON!"
"Quit the puppy eyes already, you're failing miserably-"

Nika and Shiromi are best friends and academic rivals, though Shiromi has questioned their friendship a million times (formerly). Prior to joining the student council, they were hardcore enemies in terms of nearly everything, Shiromi thinking that Nika is too laid-back and Nika thinking that Shiromi's a nerdy bookworm. However, they warm up to each other, learning to get along as the series progress, and become one of the most formidable duos of the series. Nika appreciates Shiromi for her reliability and trustable nature, and she respects her a lot. However, she still likes teasing her. They often practice their combat skills, study and go home together.

In the timeskip, it is revealed that they still maintained close contact and their relationship blossomed further, so much to the extent that people they knew (most notably Maya) started to ship the two of them. They're shown to work together incredibly well, and they're shown to care for each other deeply as Nika willingly throws herself in front of a laser bullet to shield Shiromi and Shiromi breaks down crying, telling her to wake up and that she means a lot to her.

In the manga extras, she and Shiromi are (yet again) rivals, Shiromi being the detective hired to catch her. Nika loves teasing her and engaging her psychologically into her battles. Even so, she still holds her in high esteem.

**Leon Nakamura**:

"They're the same thing, but valid - Maybe you need to give some more stress on the 'rrr' sound."
"RrRrRrRRrRrRRrRr! Nailed it, right?"
"Well, not bad for a beginner!"

Leon is the Secretary of the Student Council, so Nika and him meet on a weekly basis with all the other members. They are shown to be good friends and they work together quite well. Nika appreciates that he takes detailed notes and records of all the events in the student council, and his uncanny ability to see light when others see darkness. In the beginning, they addressed each other with honorifics, but it slowly wore away to nicknames like 'Leon-San' and 'Nika-Chan'. They are often shown together practicing their marksmanship.

**Okami Hayashi**:

"As you wish, Akabane Sama."

Although many people were apprehensive to a former delinquent and bully getting elected to the Student Council, Nika, along with the rest of the student council, had no issues with the matter. She entrusted him with her ideal of bringing bullying to a stop, and Okami carried it out diligently as the Enforcer of the Student Council. However, their relationship is slightly formal, as both address each other by their surnames.

**Itachi Horibe**:

"I think I finally realize why I hang out with you!"

Nika and Itachi were familiar with each other due to their parents being classmates. They are often referred to as the 'lethal goofballs' of the Student Council, due to their immense and shared love for pranks. She (not so) secretly ships him with Maya.

**Maya Shimotsuki**:

"EXACTLY!"
"Full steam ahead or jam all the brakes!"
"Keep it coming!"
"Non-violence or ALL-VIOLENCE!"
"Huh. That IS kinda true......."

Nika and Maya often get along with each other. Nika appreciates Maya for her spontaneity and energy whenever she does something. She (not so) secretly ships her with Itachi.

**Yoko Mizauchi**:

"You can't make or use a dominator in prison, there are no elections in prison, you will never know if Meiryo gets a boyfriend until after 5 months -"
"THANK YOU VERY MUCH-"

Due to Yoko's role in abducting her father, her uncle, her aunt and killing their colleagues, Nika absolutely despises Yoko. She swore retribution and to bring him down no matter what.

## Abilities

**Leadership:** Nika is capable of utilizing and leading her teammates, be it at school, home or work, towards the best solution in sight. She is able to take charge and guide each of her teammates to positions and roles best befitting them considering their best traits and abilities. This was further proven when she became the President of the Student Council, and later on the Defense Minister of Japan.

**Intelligence**: Nika is one of the smartest characters in the series, being capable of maintaining top grades with little effort. She is often the first one to get a grasp of the situation, partly due to her keen observation skills. She also has the ability to swiftly think on her feet, something that her teammates, most notably Shiromi, find a little too exciting. She also has the ability to improvise on various weapons, as shown when she modified her parents' weapons to suit her needs and requirements. She, along with Kiyoshi, designed the weapons for all the AkaSquad members and for the Student Council.

**Combat Skills**: Besides her intelligence, Nika possesses a knack for battle and enjoys it. She has good fighting skills such as having high mobility, flexibility and reflexes, and also has a mind suited for pranks. She is also quite athletic, but one of the slowest compared to the AkaSquad. When infuriated enough, she immediately forces her opponent on the defense, giving them no time to strike. She often focuses on wearing down her opponent before performing the final blow.

**Marksmanship**: Nika is quite skilled at marksmanship, being able to hit moving targets from far away. Her preferred weapons of choice is a twin set of modified handguns, formerly used by her parents during their time in class 3 - E, and she utilizes them expertly and accurately.

**High Stamina and Endurance**: Nika's high stamina level is one of her assets. She does not tire easily, physically or mentally. This is proven when she lands a crucial blow on Yoko Mizauchi despite having an injured leg and a broken hand.

**Stealth**: Nika is also quite stealthy, as she was able to sneak into the Mizauchi Headquarters without being noticed. She is an expert at concealing her presence in almost every location, and she uses it to her advantage.

## Trivia

* Her birthday is on the 20th of October.
* Her MBTI type is ENTP.
* Her favorite food is the karaage that her grandmother makes.
* Her favorite drink is cinnamon tea.
* Her laughter styles are 'sputtering burst' and 'unsettling chuckle'.
* If she was an anime character, she would probably be an anti-hero or a phantom thief.
* If she was a supernatural creature, she world prefer to be a demon lord.
* Her favorite subjects are Mathematics and Science while her least favorite is Social Studies.
* Her hobbies/skills are experimenting with explosives, pranking and making anime props and weapons out of cardboard.
* She wants to work in the Ministry of Defense when she grows up, appreciating their actions behind national crisis.
* Her most treasured item is her mini dominator and a scrapbook in which she stores stamps, tickets and passes from other countries.
* She is able to speak English, Japanese, and a little French and Hindi (she learned the former from Leon and the latter from Maya).
* She has a habit of taking 'intensive naps' (aka mini hibernations) if she's exhausted or travelling. If she falls into one of these, nothing can wake her up, not even an atom bomb, and she flops onto any nearby surface.
* Her stats from the anime extras are as follows:
	+ **Mobility:** 4
	+ **Stamina:** 5
	+ **Close Combat:** 5
	+ **Swordsmanship:** 4.5
	+ **Information Analysis:** 5
	+ **Leadership:** 5
	+ **Language Arts:** 5
	+ **Personal Skill (Charisma):** 10+

A/N - By 'eliminated', I mean 'put out of action'. This can mean dead, severely injured, basically anything that conveys that she cannot continue doing what she was doing.

## Copyrights and inspiration

* The base for the Manga illustration of Nika Akabane was taken from an illustration by Hikaru Miyoshi.