Ikumi Nishio

* The Beyond
* Exodus
* Heaven and Earth
* Original

**Ikumi Nishio** (西尾(にしお) 行美(いくみ), *Nishio Ikumi*) is a character who is introduced in *Soukyuu no Fafner*. She is the grandmother of the twins, Rina and Akira.

## Biography

### *Soukyuu no Fafner*

Ikumi is standing near the sea and watches as the island begins to move. She mutters that they are finally leaving the place and that it has been a long time. Tamotsu Kodate visits Ikumi in her shop, bringing some books for her to print, and she comments that he wrote a lot of pages despite being busy. He responds that it's nothing since they are fighting for their dream and Ikumi says that he wrote the same line on the page she's looking at. She then offers him a drink when they hear the alarm.

Ikumi helps the other citizens escape to Alvis when the Human Army invades the island. Two soldiers tell them to freeze and Ikumi tells them that they can't come when a wall comes between them. Ikumi is in the shelter at Alvis with her two grandchildren and she pats Rina on her head who wonders what's going to happen to them. Ikumi tells her not to worry and that they have to be patient for a while until everything is over. After they take their island back, some Alvis workers are talking about Mark Sein and Ikumi mentions that Kouzou Minashiro wanted to make it as well but Festum attacked them earlier than expected. Coming to the conclusion that Tsubaki Minashiro thinks about Mark Sein as herself, Ikumi states that an independent rebirth of the core has never been heard of before and Fumihiko Makabe wants her analyze the Fafner and its data. Ikumi stands before some abandoned Human Army soldiers and wants them to each take one envelope. As one of them states that he can't make tofu, she responds that she'll teach them what peace is as they only know how to fight. Sometime later, Mitsuhiro Bartland arrives at the island and a court is held regarding Yumiko Toomi falsifying her younger sister's data with Ikumi acting as the main judge. With the help of Maya's friends and Tsubaki, the case ends with no result and nobody is held accountable.

Ikumi visits while everyone is still preparing the Tanabata Festival and sees Fumihiko opening a shop to sell his clay work. The next day, Ikumi is one of the people who appear at the Kaname house when the pilots are protecting Kouyou Kasugai who is inside. Time passes and Ikumi wants to force their way and tells the soldiers to not use the weapons on the children. However, before they can do so, Soushi Minashiro wants to execute his own plan first. Ikumi is visited by Mamoru Kodate after finding out that his father was the one who is writing Goubain. Ikumi explains that Mamoru himself is the reason why Tamotsu started Goubain. Ikumi is once again in a meeting talking about Mark Sein and potentially teaming up with the Human Army to defeat the Festum. She tells them that Soushi Minashiro asked if it was possible to build the Siegfried System into the Fafner if they are joining the attack on the North Pole Mir.

Six days after the attack that caused casualties and a lot of damage, Ikumi wonders if the reason she got dragged here is about implanting the system into the Fafners. Tamotsu enters the room and wants revenge for what the Festum did to his family and Ikumi reminds him that children aren't tools for revenge. After receiving information from Mjolnir, they manage to integrate a prototype of the Siegfried System into the four working Fafners. She tells the pilots that losing one Fafner will hinder the system, telling them not to die. She is later present at the hangar to see the pilots off. Ikumi is at the CDC when she feels the wind going through Alvis after Tsubaki became one with the island and when Kazuki Makabe returns to the island.

### *Soukyuu no Fafner Heaven and Earth*

Ikumi is in a meeting with the other Alvis personnel and calls Tamotsu Kodate a drunkard ever since he has repaired the Fafners, including Mark Funf. She comments that there is a possibility the enemy Mir can change forms as well despite having destroyed the North Pole Mir. After the sudden battle, Ikumi is standing near the shore when Fumihiko Makabe announces Tatsumiyajima is about to move. She is later part of the meetings regarding Kazuki Makabe's situation, the new enemies, Misao Kurusu, the upcoming attacks, and Miwa Hino. In preparation for the Second Operation Azure, her grandchildren board the Zero Fafner which caused the deaths of her daughter and son-in-law and is the reason why she retired from the Fafner project. She hopes the Fafner will protect the twins for her since it is something their parents left behind for them.

### *Soukyuu no Fafner Exodus*

Ikumi is drinking some tea in the backroom while her granddaughter is sitting behind the counter of the family shop. Rina says that she wants to work for Alvis to which Ikumi responds that she shouldn't dedicate all her studying to the art of war since she needs to carry on the island's culture as well. Sui Kaburagi then enters the shop to buy something and Ikumi listens to the conversation the two are having. Ikumi calls Rina dense when she declines Sui's invitation due to work.

Ikumi is in a meeting with some Alvis personnel and states that the Mir is either extremely large or rooted to the ground since they didn't bring it to the island, being curious to what it has transformed into. Ikumi is surprised to hear that Emery Almond wants to make contact with the island's Mir through the core and wonders what they intend to do after that. When Kiyomi Kaname tells Jeremy Lee Marcy the story of Saya Minashiro's assimilation, Ikumi is one of the people who saw the event unfold and at the Well of Urd, Tamotsu Kodate wonders if she is still here. She responds that her human consciousness no longer exists but that it's thanks to her that the Mir transformed with the possibility that the transformation is still ongoing. After everything settles down, Ikumi is in a meeting again and adds that Fafners have turned into black boxes due to the new cores with no indication of what might happen.

Ikumi listens to the twins arguing since Akira wants to be a part of the expeditionary force and Rina is completely against it. While Ikumi drinks her tea, she mentions that they ended up thinking quite differently as they grew up. She then reminds Akira that humans can be more frightening than the enemies and that he should decide for himself if he's prepared to learn that. Ikumi is one of the people who sees the expeditionary force off. Ikumi is present at the Alvis meeting when the core appears before them and a report comes in of the Azazel-type Festum approaching the island.

Ikumi is in the Keel Block with Tamotsu to check out the new cores that have appeared during the last battle. She urges Tamotsu to leave everything here to her to help out with Kazuki Makabe and Soushi Minashiro's departure. She is once again in the Keel Block, this time with Masaki and Suzuna Tatekami, to check out the new crystals. After that, she discusses the SDP phenomenon the pilots have awakened with some Alvis' personnel. Later that night, Ikumi visits the Kaburagi house to take Rina home, who has been teleported into Sui's room, and agrees with the person on the phone that they should examine the pilots after what has happened. Ikumi blames herself for not realizing that it was the Fafner's influence that made Rina really sleepy despite Rina telling her about being really sleepy all the time. Tamotsu states that the mechanics failed to anticipate any burden on the pilots to which she responds that it is the same for her ever since the twins' parents were assimilated. She is later in a meeting where Sakura Kaname and Canon Hazama tells them they are coming out of retirement to help their juniors and to provide information regarding the new assimilation phenomenon.

Ikumi tells Rina not to force herself to stay awake to which her granddaughter responds that she is fine. However, she falls asleep, falling from the stairs, and Ikumi tries to catch her but to her surprise, Rina disappears. Ikumi thanks Sui for saving Rina when she is in danger after she is brought to the Avis' medical room. Sui replies that he isn't doing it consciously to which she responds that it proves how strongly he wishes to protect her and states that she will remind Rina to thank him too. Kenji Kondou walks into the room after hearing Rina muttering about Canon and Hiroto Douma and Ikumi tells him that she starts to spend more time asleep than awake. Telling him about what Rina said in her sleep, Ikumi realizes something upon repeating the word "cultivating", she leaves Rina in his care and leaves to go to the Keel Block. There, she confirms with the Tatekami family that the growth of the Gordian crystals are congruent with the numbers of enemies that have been defeated by the pilots and the people who have lost their lives. On the day of the Tanabata Festival, she reminds Rina not to overdo it to which she responds that she will be fine with the medicine Kenji has given her.

Ikumi is in a meeting regarding the disappearance of Canon and the new Fafner design she has left behind, the Einherjar Model, that battles the new assimilation phenomenon and keeps the pilots in fighting condition for as long as possible. They later discuss the enemy being in the water after Sui's remark during the latern floating. After they failed to defeat the enemy, the Alvis personnel is once again in a meeting regarding the development of the new Fafners and Plan Delta possibly being executed.

Ikumi is with Rina at Akira's bedside after Tatsumiyajima rescues the expeditionary force and the other survivors and mutters that he is finally home. The duo wait for Akira to get home to eat dinner together and Ikumi notices Akira's unusual behaviour. Recalling his memories of the journey he went on, Akira feels guily about the food he is getting and Ikumi reminds him that he isn't the only one who gets to to eat on the island with the food plant operating at full capacity. Ikumi is once again in a meeting regarding what Tatsumiyajima is going to do after finding the Third Alvis, Wadatsumijima. Ikumi apologizes to Rina for unable to protect anyone in their family after they lost Akira during the last battle. Later that night, Ikumi and Rina watch the recording Akira left behind.

### *Soukyuu no Fafner The Beyond*

Ikumi is accompanied by Sui Kaburagi who are making their way to a room in Alvis. Sui wonders if there are any changes to which Ikumi responds that that aren't any changes and that her body is the image of health itself. They enter the room, which reveals that they are visiting Rina, who is in a coma and inside a recovery pod since the failed Fifth Operation Azure.

Ikumi is with Sui in Rina's room after the Sixth Operation Azure concludes and states that nothing has changed despite her vitals having improved. While Sui starts to shed some tears, Ikumi is shocked by the sound of the machine and the pod opens, revealing that Rina has awakened after three years. With tears in her eyes, Ikumi welcomes Rina back home. A few days later, she floats a lantern for her grandson and Sanae Kaburagi with Rina and the Kaburagi family during the festival.

## Trivia

### Etymology

* The name **Ikumi** means "row, line" (行) (**iku**) and "beautiful" (美) (**mi**).
* Ikumi's surname **Nishio** means "west" (西) (**nishi**) and "tail, ridge" (尾) (**o**).

## References

1. ↑ Episode 4: Escape -Departure-
2. ↑ Episode 12: Absence -Desperation-
3. ↑ Episode 14: Awakening -Occupation-
4. ↑ Episode 15: Memory -Scream-
5. ↑ Episode 17: Survival -Device-
6. ↑ Episode 18: Father -Memory-
7. ↑ Episode 20: Lantern -Light-
8. ↑ Episode 21: Sakura -Future-
9. ↑ Episode 22: Protection -Power-
10. ↑ Episode 24: Conversation -Mir-
11. ↑ Episode 26: Azure -Sky-
12. ↑ Exodus Episode 1: Visitor
13. ↑ Exodus Episode 3: The Price of a Conversation
14. ↑ Exodus Episode 4: The Successors
15. ↑ Exodus Episode 5: To a New World
16. ↑ Exodus Episode 6: Blessed Time
17. ↑ Exodus Episode 8: Dreaming of Peace
18. ↑ Exodus Episode 11: Transformation
19. ↑ Exodus Episode 12: Children of the Battlefield
20. ↑ Exodus Episode 16: Where Life Is
21. ↑ Exodus Episode 17: Flames of the Final Farewell
22. ↑ Exodus Episode 18: Layering Sins Upon Sins
23. ↑ Exodus Episode 19: The Soldiers Return Home
24. ↑ Exodus Episode 22: Memories of Hatred
25. ↑ Exodus Episode 23: Power Without Reason
26. ↑ Exodus Episode 24: The Third Alvis
27. ↑ Exodus Episode 25: Operation Azure
28. ↑ The Beyond Episode 4: The Powerless Ones
29. ↑ The Beyond Episode 12: Beyond the Azure