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Suzaku Suginami (杉並 朱雀, Suginami Suzaku) is the leader of the Alchemists faction as well as being the organization's CEO. She is the unifying "conscious" of the Suginami Design Children. She had allied herself with the Inquisition and was responsible for keeping Kiseki Kusanagi asleep in a dreaming state before the attack on the First Laboratory.
Appearance[]
Suzaku's appearance is the same as Ikaruga Suginami and Isuka Suginami, only with discrepancies in her outfit and hair color. Suzaku's hair is described as being cloudy grey, and she wore a black lab-coat. Her anime design highly differs from her physical description in the novels as she is shown in a much younger state, possibly from a recent switch in bodies.
Personality[]
Suzaku, much like her design children, is solely fixated on the progress of science and development who takes child-like joy in discovering something new and shows juvenile mannerisms in her forwardness and gestures. However, as the leader of the Alchemists, Suzaku still exhibits cautious thinking and decision making to make her alliance with Sougetsu Ootori a lot less one-sided. Furthermore, she shows no affection to her daughters, Ikaruga and Isuka, as she reveals the purpose of the Design Children to claim their bodies as her own to transfer herself to, and she won't hesitate to kill Ikaruga.
Biography[]
History[]
The alchemists were noted to have been found during the same time the old Inquisition was around. Many years before the first Witch Hunt War, they frequently collaborated together. Suzaku was noted to have lived for around 500 years through some method of immortality. At some point in time, she began the Suginami Design Children project.
Two Alchemists Arc[]
Suzaku is contacted by Sougetsu with the latter's intent on starting a war between the Alchemists is foiled when she graces the Inquisition's takeover of the 5th Laboratory and offers a hundred of their newest brand of dragoons to assist them in its destruction.
Hyakki Yakou Arc[]
Suzaku is present along with Sougetsu when they observed the events unfold with Kiseki Kusanagi's powers going out of control. Sougetsu had intentionally placed Kyouya as one of the convoy's guards, so his anger could get the best of him and have the Hyakki Yakou awaken. With this showcase, Sougetsu takes hold of the deal as the two had previously made a wager that if he handed over full research rights on Kiseki, Suzaku would have the Alchemists cut their ties with Valhalla entirely, stop their trading, and be solely allied with the Inquisition.
Crimson Lotus Arc[]
Suzaku tours Sougetsu through the Alchemist's First Laboratory where she unveils the Guillotine, a mass-produced Relic Eater that are remotely powered by captured witches while being able to be utilized by anyone. Sougetsu praises her quick work in such short notice and also brings up Kiseki's status, and Suzaku reports on how her reincarnation abilities are still unknowable. However, she informs him that her soul was uncontrollable through outside sources, and the key to using her was to manipulate her mind.
Heretic Alliance Arc[]
As research on Kiseki continues, Suzaku welcome Kyouya's arrival to the First Laboratory as the latter arrived on behalf of Yoshimizu's condition and observed Kiseki's condition. Suzaku acts friendly enough toward him, but he reminds her that he volunteered to guard the area for Yoshimizu's treatment. Later on, Suzaku is visited by Haunted, and she apologizes for not being able to continue working for Valhalla. Haunted pays it no mind and states that he's only here for a visit, and Suzaku goes on to explain that Kiseki is currently experiencing a simulated dream to keep her pacified. Haunted stays silent before gifting Suzaku for her accomplishments with some flowers.
When the Heretic Alliance besieges the First Laboratory, Suzaku wanders away from her lab to confront Ikaruga, who has just lost functionality from her dragoon. Ikaruga grimaces upon seeing her, but Suzaku is jovial in reuniting with a fellow Suginami and genealogical offspring. Suzaku surmises that Ikaruga came to assist Takeru in finding Kiseki, and Ikaruga states that Suzaku must have been successful in her research on Kiseki's state. Unexpectedly, Suzaku was fully aware of Haunted's involvement in incurring Kiseki's awakening and had gleefully accepted her failure as it only meant that she had more to learn. Suzaku then suggests that the both of them retreat up to a nearby hill to observe and take notes on what is to happen, but Ikaruga refuses and taps into her Philosopher's Stone to kill Suzaku.
Suzaku, however, survives the magic assault and showcases her own magic abilities, revealing that she had achieved magical capacity around a few hundred years ago when she synthesized and perfected her version of the Philosopher's Stone, granting her the magic capabilities of a high-elf that far outclassed Ikaruga's dark-elf transformation. Suzaku is immediately blasted away, but reemerges from a different location to pin Ikaruga down and explain that while the Suzaku before certainly perished from her attack, she was still "immortal". Suzaku explains her immortality by revealing the actual purpose in the Design Children project was not just to create geniuses, but to provide a new body for Suzaku to transfer over to, granting her certain-eternal life. Suzaku's explanations are interrupted as Kanaria slices off Suzaku's arm that was holding Ikaruga, and the two regroup while Suzaku quickly regrows her lost limb. Kanaria's offensive is, however, halted when she experiences headaches and Suzaku reminds both of them that Kanaria had the same "re-education" chip installed in her like how Isuka had. With both unable to fight, Suzaku prepares to finish them off before she narrowly dodges a magic bullet before an actual bullet pierces through her head. Mari and Usagi arrive to assist Kanaria and Ikaruga, and Suzaku's temporary incapacitate allows Kanaria to hold Lævateinn again and slice Suzaku in two, swearing that she'll hunt down every last Suginami child to kill her for good.
Epilogue[]
The potential last strand of Suzaku's DNA is traced down to a German shelter located in the South Pole. Tipped off by Haunted's knowledge, Suzaku's last remaining body as well as the method to fully cure Kiseki located with her.
Abilities[]
Design "Child": The progenitor and creator of the Design Children project that was started to create the great scientific minds to pave the future. As the originator of this project and the genealogical "mother" of all Suginami children, Suzaku herself is an extremely gifted scientist and researcher who is rightfully considered to have brightest mind in the series.
- Inventor: Suzaku's gift in the sciences and accumulated knowledge gained from her longevity has given her many talents. Suzaku was able to design and create the Guillotines in only a few short weeks as well as create a temporary but effective containment cell for Kiseki utilizing a dream inducing device.
- Phoenix Gene: The true purpose behind the Design Children Project was to prolong Suzaku's life, and she engineered for every Suginami child with a specific genetic coding that allows her to take over a given Suginami body and transfer her consciousness should her current body fail her. With this ability, Suzaku was able to live and continue her passion for science for over 500 years.
Lost Matrix - Philosopher's Stone: Suzaku was known to be one of the only individuals in the Alchemists faction that was able to utilize magic. Her abilities were based on the perfected Philosopher's Stone, which granted her the highest level of magic, when she rewrote her genes into that of an ancient High Elf. Similar to Ikaruga's Dark Elf form, Suzaku's magic was based on Anti-matter properties.
Etymology[]
- The name Suzaku means "vermilion red" (朱) (su) and "sparrow" (雀) (zaku).
- Like the other Suginamis, Suzaku is named after bird. In her case, she is named after the mythical Chinese bird that is usually associated with the phoenix of Western culture which alludes to her immortal status as she is able to experience rebirth whenever she "dies."
- Suzaku's surname, Suginami, means "cedar" (杉) (sugi) and "average, ordinary, common, row, and, besides, as well as, line up, rank with, rival, equal" (並) (nami).