The Fūzetsu (封絶, Seal, lit. "Seal of Suppression") is the most common of all Unrestricted Spells. It creates a dome-shaped isolated space which is detached from the flow of cause and effect of the world, with its interior area frozen and concealed from the outside. Inside the barrier created, all phenomena are stopped[1] for beings of this world, allowing Crimson Denizens to act freely within them.
Appearance[]
When the Fūzetsu is cast, a dome-shaped isolated space is created and Unrestricted Spell Insignia appears as lines of fire on the ground and the wall of heat haze (陽炎 Kagerō) enclose the area. This wall which makes the Fūzetsu's boundary possesses the color of its creator's flame. Sparks of the same color are seen fluttering down inside the dome. The lines of fire running along the ground are actually a guide for adjusting the size of the Fūzetsu.[2]
In truth, the Fūzetsu has a spherical shape. But as it is usually cast on the ground, only its upper half is visible and the lower half is underground.[2]
It is explained by Friagne that the Fūzetsu's pattern and design are different with each user.[3]
Background[]
The mad scientist Crimson Lord Dantalion originally created the complex and flawed Insignia which would become the Fūzetsu. Later, the genius Unrestricted Spell Master Leanan-sidhe fixed it into the easier modern version during the later half of the 19th century. Conforming to the God of Guidance's requirements, the creation of the Fūzetsu was announced via her Divine Summoning, Shōhi Ginsei. This made the spell quickly spread over all related beings in the world, but also gave rise to those who opposed its use.
The spreading of the Fūzetsu has resulted in the decrement of Flame Haze in modern times, since the people trapped inside the Fūzetsu are oblivious to Crimson Denizens, and Denizens are able to act more freely than before because humans can no longer perceive them.[4] However, some Denizens opposed being hidden from the world and waged war over their conflicting ideologies, the Révolution War.
Characteristics[]
Yuji and Wilhelmina training inside a Fūzetsu.
The area inside the Fūzetsu becomes still and is concealed from the outside because it has been severed from the flow of causality of the outside world. Anything of this world trapped within the Fūzetsu becomes still, but they have no effect on Crimson Denizens and Flame Haze. The effect seems similar to stopping time, but is not. Outside the Fūzetsu, people will avoid the area as they do not perceive the area existing,[4] and the Fūzetsu itself is concealed from the outside.[5]
For people or objects that are at the boundary of the Fūzetsu, or get caught up midway, would still be under in its effect. This is because the Fūzetsu is not a perfectly neat dome-shaped; its shape is instead uneven due to its "vague" boundary absorbing objects nearby.[6]
While the Fūzetsu's heat haze is the wall that forms a boundary which severs the flow of causality, it is also the fluctuation of causality itself; a "visible deception" (目に見える誤魔化し Me ni Mieru Gomakashi) that blurs what should have existed into ambiguity, concealing everything that have been disconnected by the Fūzetsu. This ambiguity skillfully connects the gaps between things like upstream and downstream of a river, power lines, sewage systems, and so on. However, when contradictions from these gaps exceed its capacity, the ambiguity escalates into something unnatural which affects the outside world, like humans unconsciously avoid the area, or trains stop for no reasons. In case only the first carriage of the train has entered the Fūzetsu, the whole train would be enveloped by the heat haze, severing it all from outside world's causality.[2]
Flame Haze are able to create this Fūzetsu at will, as are many Crimson Denizens. However, battles in the Fūzetsu can damage real world objects, and harm the paused living beings, though thankfully for both it is possible to reverse the effects and restore any damage if one uses enough Power of Existence. However, if the Fūzetsu is ever unlocked during a battle, the damage is irreparable.
A normal Fūzetsu is immovable after it is created, but there exists movable ones such as those used by Orgon, Nitika and Tenmoku Ikko.
It is also possible for one to take over and maintain an activated Fūzetsu which would change the color of the flame into its new caster's; this is the case where its original caster is killed or incapacitated.[7]
Fūzetsu are normally cast around dusk and dawn to take advantage of the "swaying of change" (変わろうとする揺らぎ) which occurs during these times, which are at the borderlines between the daytime, when people are clearly aware of their own self, and nighttime, when people awaken and act out another sense of self in the darkness.[4][8] Therefore, it is often during these times that Denizens attack. The Fūzetsu cast by Friagne and his Rinne during these times were red instead of pale white like his flames.[9][10][11]
References[]
- ↑ DVD Special Book Grand Grimoire page 05
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Shakugan no Shana Light Novel Volume SIII page 442
- ↑ Shakugan no Shana no Subete page 126
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Shakugan no Shana Guide Book Nyūmon-hen page 17
- ↑ Dengeki G's Festival! Vol.8 Page 27
- ↑ Shakugan no Shana Light Novel Volume SIII page 441
- ↑ Shakugan no Shana Light Novel Volume SIII page 275
- ↑ Shakugan no Shana Light Novel Volume 01 Chapter 02 page 82
- ↑ Shakugan no Shana Light Novel Volume 01 Chapter 01 page 13
- ↑ Shakugan no Shana Light Novel Volume 01 Chapter 01 page 41
- ↑ Shakugan no Shana Light Novel Volume 01 Chapter 02 page 86