- "An axe to cut down trees. An oar to cross seas. A hoe to plow soils. If so then I desire an extraordinary power to defeat Crimson Lord. Come, ye mighty force. Protect the warrior."
- —Karl's petition to his soon-to-be contracted Crimson Lords.
Karl Berwald (カール・ベルワルド Kāru Beruwaldo) was a Swedish Flame Haze who held the title of the first "Archer of Aurora" (極光の射手 Kyokkō no Ite). He participated in the Great War and is acquainted with Sophie Sawallisch. After his death, several centuries later, Chiara Toscana becomes his successor.
Appearance[]
Karl is a man who wears a full set of knight's armor with red feathers on his helmet. He also has brown hair, brown eyes and a goatee. He is a muscular man and is well-trained in combat using normal weapons.
Personality[]
He is a rash, arrogant person and hates to be looked down upon by others. Although having almost completely no sense of cooperation with other Flame Haze, he was Vice Commander of the Flame Haze Army during the Great War. His favorite and only style of battle is blitzkrieg tactics which suits his powers. He is also spoiled by his contracted Crimson Lord twins, which was one of the many reasons that led to his death.
Background[]
Before Karl became a Flame Haze, he was once a nobleman and quite a womanizer. He fell in love with a certain Flame Haze who was later killed by a Crimson Denizen. Enraged by her death, Karl made a contract with the one and only known pair of Crimson Lord twins, Outreniaia and Vetcherniaia, and became the first "Archer of Aurora". Due to his powers and abilities, he usually fought alone without assistance and used speed to overwhelm enemies. For centuries, the number of enemies he had slain, before the final battle at the Brocken, was more than that of even Mathilde Saint-Omer and Wilhelmina Carmel.
When the Great War broke out, Karl was recruited and appointed the rank of second-in-command to train and organize newly contracted Flame Haze born during the war, but his recklessness and disregard for cooperative maneuvers made him lose many of his subordinates with every battle.
Plot[]
Karl was involved in the Great War, recruited by Sophie Sawallisch, who appointed him as a Vice Commander. He successfully killed one of the Nine Eternal Divine Scales, Sokar, who was holding off the Flame Haze Army at the foot of the Harz mountain range despite losing many comrades in the process.
Karl was later killed by Bal Masqué's General, Sydonay, while he was attacking the retreating army alone. Not knowing the characteristics of Orgon's Legion, he was distracted by their unexpected movements and was sent to the ground by an enlarged Shintetsu Nyoi. Karl was again crushed by the enlarged spear thrown by Sydonay before he could strike back.[1]
Relationships[]
He is on good terms with most of Flame Haze in commanding positions including Sophie Sawallisch, who appointed him to the army. On the other hand, he cares less about his subordinates and sometimes leaves his army behind to pursue enemies on a whim.
Powers and Abilities[]
Divine Vessel Manipulation: Karl could create the arrow-like aurora plane by utilizing the Zorya, his arrowhead-shaped Divine Vessel. Riding on it, he could travel on the battlefield faster than others. Its head has the power to pierce through average enemies like a spear which is one of Karl's favorite moves.
Unrestricted Spells[]
Gripen's Howl and Draken's Roar: The Unrestricted Spells that become the Archer of Aurora's signature assault. While it is unclear whether they are the same power or not, both are usually utilized together. By condensing aurora flame on both wings of the plane, they can be shot like meteors (or rather, a machine gun) continuously and are very destructive. Their destructive rate is comparable to Khamsin's, which is suitable when facing many enemies like an army.
Quotes[]
- (To Sokar): "It's enough for the opening performance. How about us having a one-to-one fight as commanders? Barrier of Burning Dust, Sokar-san?"[2]
- (To Bal Masqué's army): "Yee-hawww!! Don't you mobs dare stand in front of my Zorya!!"[3]
- (To Outreniaia and Vetcherniaia): "Heh! Damn straight! Because I am the Archer of Aurora!!!"[4]
Trivia[]
- Karl's surname, Berwald, is an allusion to the Berwald family, which consisted of two famous Swedish composers: Franz Berwald and Johan Fredrik Berwald.
- Chiara Toscana, Karl's successor, referred to him with great respect, calling him "your highness".[5]
Gallery[]
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References[]
- ↑ Shakugan no Shana X: Eternal Song Volume 03
- ↑ Shakugan no Shana X: Eternal Song Manga Chapter 02
- ↑ Shakugan no Shana Light Novel Volume 10 Chapter 4 page 194
- ↑ Shakugan no Shana Light Novel Volume 10 Chapter 4 page 195
- ↑ Shakugan no Shana Light Novel Volume SIII: Friagne the Hunter IV