Rio Kurotori (黒鳥 理緒, Kurotori Rio) is an Artificier. She trained Biko to become an artificer, and worked as a teacher at the Magic Law School.
Appearance[]
Rio is tall woman with long purple hair and pale skin. Many characters describe her to be beautiful and attractive, with a sizeable bust. She usually wears a light pink sun hat and long gray-to-white dress with fraying sleeves and collar, secured by string. Her hair is secured under her hat by a small clip, and she wears earrings obscured by her hair. Her main accessory is a monocle she wears on her left eye, which appears to be half a pair of glasses.
On her back are hidden scars from an accident in class when she protected Biko from an exploding beaker when the latter played with dangerous potions. While she is a practitioner of forbidden magic law, she develops similar scarring on her face and neck like Enchu.
Personality[]
Rio appears to be a kind and good-natured woman who loves her students. She is shown to be very charismatic in class, though her pretty appearance may help tide things in her favor. As shown when she protected Biko from an explosion in class, she is protective of those in her care. This extends to even supposed enemies, as she nursed Imai's wounds after the latter was cut by Mick.
She has a great deal of determination. Due to her struggles as an artificer, she was taken advantage of by an older judge and even scorned by other practitioners as wanton. However, she was fine taking all this abuse so long as she could pay for the medicine to keep her ailing mother alive, whom she loved dearly. When her mother was attacked, she even ran to these people who mocked her for help, because she could not sentence spirits herself.
When provoked, Rio has considerable rage. Losing her mother made her vengeful, and she turned to Ark for revenge on the Magic Law Association (MLA) for letting her mother die. Her rage allows her to attack even those she formerly loved and taught, like Biko and Muhyo. To fulfill her goals, she has no qualms defiling her soul by dabbling in dark arts and using underhanded techniques, like when she used Sophie as bait for Muhyo to expend all his tempering.
Synopsis[]
History[]
Rio originally worked as a teacher at the Magic Law School, while she lived with her sick mother. She usually wore revealing clothing, but her students complained (except Yoichi, who thought she looked fine), so she began wearing outfits that were more conservative. But her employer told her to wear fewer clothes, or he would make sure that no one would buy her artifacts. Soon, Biko became her apprentice, and after a while, went off on her own (Volume Four).
Death of Mother[]
Rio's mother was attacked one night by a spirit, so Rio ran for help. Her employer wouldn't help (claiming she was rebellious) and others thought she was "vulgar" for wearing revealing clothes. No one helped her save her mother, and she was killed, leaving a message for Rio made by using pieces of a broken comb: "Thank you, Rio". Vindictive at the Magic Law Association for not helping her and her mother, Rio turns into a traitor and joins Enchu and the Forbidden Magic Law association of Ark.
Arcanum Prison Arc[]
Rio accompanies Muhyo and several others the magic jail to investigate spirits which have escaped. Unbeknownst to the others, Rio had tampered with all the seals to release the prisoners so they might pose a threat and force Muhyo to dispel them. As the practitioners are chased by Sophia, Rio plays along, even putting her own life on the line to save Biko from Sophie.
After Sophie's defeat and Muhyo's collapse, Rio reveals her true intentions and demands the others hand Muhyo to her in exchange for their lives. She uses her powers to set the jail aflame and chases the others out to the nearby area, where Yoichi appears to lend a hand. Biko cries out to Rio that this has to be a bad dream, to which Rio says she can no longer go back with them. With the help of Yoichi's wards and a tempering potion by Biko, Muhyo is sufficiently rejuvenated to incapacitate Rio with a sedative needle and has her wand broken. Unfortunately, Teeki and Enchu appear and spirit Rio away, leaving Biko crying.
Wailing Vale Arc[]
After the events of Panza at the New Giant Hotel, an injured Imai is kidnapped by Mick. Rio tends to her wounds while also working on unsealing the Forbidden Law Book. She eventually collapses, as she had been working nonstop on the book's seals, which take a lot of her stamina. Muhyo and Roji, along with executor Busujima, launch a daring remote rescue mission to save Imai and Rio using Umekichi and Seven-Faced Dog. After the two defeat Mick with Roji's plan, they manage to teleport out of Ark territory with Rio and Imai.
However, Teeki manages to briefly track them using Rio's Forbidden tattoo. He manifests and tries to kill Muhyo, who reveals that Teeki was the one who had se the ghost on Rio's mother in order to make her hate the MLA. Upon hearing the truth, Rio's will is broken and Teeki loses to Muhyo and Roji. Rio laments that she doesn't deserve to live after all her crimes. Bio slaps her and berates her for being an idiot, since regret will not undo her crimes nor bring back those she has killed. In tears, Biko tells Rio that everyone at the school wants her back and that she hopes they would be able to break bread and pick raspberries again once more.
Battle in MLS Arc[]
After defecting from Ark, Rio aids the group at MLS to formulate a plan to kill Teeki. She reveals she has a spare wand and uses her contract with the flame lizards to blast Teeki.
At the conclusion of the battle, she and Enchu face their sentencing together before the MLA committee. She and Enchu break their contracts while Nana and Seven-Faced Dog substitute for them in court. Rio is sentenced to indefinite suspension and is placed under supervision by the MLA. Judge Imai is shown monitoring her and making terrible tea while in Biko's house.
Vector Arc[]
While Vector has his spirit roots out draining everyone, Rio helps watch over victims like Q-La.
Skills and Abilities[]
Rio has a contract with the Flame Lizards, which gives her the ability to use her artifacts, particularly a wand, and use magic. Enchu and Teeki used her to break the seals on the Forbidden Law Book.
Etymology[]
- The name Rio means "reason, logic" (理) (ri) and "thread" (緒) (o).
- Rio's surname Kurotori means "black" (黒) (kuro) and "bird, poultry, fowl" (鳥) (tori).
Trivia[]
- Rio likes freshly baked bread (baked by Biko), coffee, and long baths.
- Rio doesn't like alcohol (can drink a little wine but becomes a threat to public safety with other beverages).
- Rio's talent is shopping (good at bargaining), puttering in the garden, making cheese gratin (over 20 kinds).