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Nike Lemercier (ニケ・ルメルシエ , Nike Rumerushie) is the main protagonist, the fourth and youngest princess of the Rain Dukedom and the queen of the Sun Kingdom. She has the power to call forth the rain when she sings and is noted as being one of the most powerful rain summoners to date.

Appearance[]

Nike is has long, wavy copper hair that ends just below her shoulders and emerald green eyes.

Though Livius and Neil are unimpressed with her looks at the beginning, Nike is known to be a beautiful and elegant young woman in her royal portraits. It is noted that when she dresses for formal occasions, she looks closer to her portrait appearance.

While her clothes change regularly, Nike is always wearing the same pair of earrings: they are 'limiters' made from Black Lotus stones, to help contain Nike's vast powers.

Personality[]

Nike is an optimistic, caring person who is quick to rush to the aid of others. Her openness and honesty put people at ease. She has a talent for getting through to difficult people, even people who are determined to dislike her from the start, mostly because she is determined to figure out what pains them and how to help them. This earns her the respect and admiration of the people of the Sun Kingdom who consider her an acceptable choice as the Sun Queen. It also earns her the love of people she encounters in foreign nations.

As a princess from a small country, she is used to fending for herself and finds those accustomed to luxury to be stuck up. Upon becoming Livius’ fiancée, she initially finds herself overcome with the expectations of a future queen, and dislikes them. However, as she is someone who will not go back on her word nor take her responsibilities less seriously, she is willing to learn how to be a proper lady for the sake of her duties and on important occasions.

Due to her upbringing in the Rain Dukedom, Nike is not used to great luxuries and is more aware of the troubles of ordinary people than the nobles of richer countries. She sees no shame in speaking her mind or working with her hands, which sometimes comes across as unrefined for a future queen. This upbringing also made her innocent: in the peace and isolation of the Rain Dukedom, Nike was spared the horrors of war and the difficult choices it forces on people. This influenced her way of dealing in politics, as Nike favors choices that reduce conflicts, enmity and retaliation.

Her empathy often makes her a target of enemies who intend to use her as a means to destroy Livius. According to Kitora, Nike’s ultimate weakness is wanting to help people with any sort of tragic or lonely backstory. At times, Nike is conflicted over these situations; she longs to help people in need despite them potentially being enemies but Livius has the authority to destroy the country of these same people should they turn out to be traitors. Because of her sympathy towards people who suffered any kind of hardship/tragedy, she is willing to give these people the benefit of the doubt and at times has advocated for Livius to show these people mercy, though that doesn’t mean Nike entirely absolves nor forgives them if their actions cause great harm.

Despite her kindness, Nike has a fierce temper and a keen sense of justice. She believes people who do wrong should be punished (and has no issues about dealing out the punishment herself), but also believes that some people deserve mercy and forgiveness. Because of this, she often advises Livius on how to deal with or punish his enemies or people who earn his wrath. People credit her calming influence and her ability to put Livius at ease for making Livius a more generous and lenient king.

History[]

Nike was the fourth and youngest princess of the Rain Dukedom. Her mother Iraha had a hard time with her pregnancy, and was barely able to summon rain anymore after Nike was born.

Nike was initially viewed as the black sheep of the family, since she was unable to summon the rain. As a result, she was sent away to be raised by her maternal grandmother Tohara. Despite the harsh training, Nike was a determined student who always chose the hardest road and never gave up. In time she mastered wind and rain manipulation, growing in skill to be considered the best singer in the Dukedom. Her cousin Kitora, who trained with her, never mastered the technique, but forever admired Nike for her success.

As a member of the royal family famous for its summoning of the rain and of its ancestors’ responsibility in the planet’s fate, as well as having ignited an ancient war with ancestors of the Ice Kingdom, Nike grew up hearing the legends of the world’s protector - an ancestor who was known as the most powerful summoner in her homeland and had been tasked with protecting the world from catastrophe via destructive weather. It was always highly suspected Nike was destined to become a protector but her family used all precautions s to prevent this.

At age (16-18), while her grandmother was away on a tour of the country, a royal missive arrived: the Sun King declared that he would grant the Rain Dukedom a special dispensation that would allow it to remain autonomous, provided that the Duke give him the hand of one of his daughters in marriage. Nike and her sisters played a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to settle the matter: the loser was Nike. Her relieved sisters teased Nike, saying that the Sun King was a lewd old man with a bald head, horns, hair all over his body and terrible breath.

Arrival at the Sun Kingdom

Despite the Sun King's fearsome reputation as being brutal and easy to anger, Nike decided to make the best of the situation and undertook the journey.

In the anime, she sneaked into the country through the harbor town Lepios and sent her retinue away, to form her own impression of the place. The food was expensive, the people were rude and every inn she tried turned her away, including one where the kindly owner told her it was too dangerous for a pretty young woman to stay in an inn full of rowdy soldiers. Two men stole her suitcase, and when Nike prepared to retaliate with her wind powers, she fainted from hunger. Fortunately, the kindly inkeeper's daughters saw her and brought her in. Liza and her older sister Mina fed Nike and let her sleep in the tiny bed they share. Nike tells them about being engaged to the king and, while the family is skeptical at first, the inkeeper decides that the story is so outlandish it must be the truth. When Mina is accidentally kidnapped in her place, Nike uses her wind powers to teach the two petty criminals hired to do it a lesson - by coincidence, they are the same two who stole her luggage. When the air responds to her, Nike thinks that she and the Sun Kingdom may just get along after all. Nike strong-arms her two would-be kidnappers to take her to the capital, Ginitarix.

After a confrontation with the palace guards, who mistake her for a suspicious person, Nike is led to the audience hall to meet King Livius I. She is shocked when the feared King of the World turns out to be a young child, and taken aback when Livius's eyes are bereft of innocence. When he immediately demands that she make it rain because he is weary of the sun, Nike is offended and stretches Livius's mouth - and gets thrown into the dungeons for her trouble. She cuts the bars with the power of the wind and thinks of making her escape, but decides to stay and teach Livius a lesson. After a short argument, Nike decides to stay.

Nike is infuriated when Livius attempts to show her the "beauty of the world" the following day by putting her in a lavish dress and preparing an extravagant meal for breakfast, calling the attempt unimaginative. She is instead fascinated with the flowers in the garden outside the dining room, but to her horror Livius dismisses her joy by claiming that flowers are just flowers. Saddened by his lack of emotion, Nike calls his conquering of the world a "waste". Things seem to improve the following day when Livius consents to show her the garden in the castle's north tower and they spend time together, having what Nike considers a fun day despite Livius's protestations. The fun is cut short when Nike notices an arrow being aimed at the King from the bushes: she manages to push him out of the way, but is hit by the arrow herself.

When Nike wakes, she's informed that she's been fighting a fever and that the city is under martial law as the king attempts to root out the perpetrators and his remaining detractors. Her maids tell her that several retainers have already been stripped of their land and exiled, which horrifies Nike. She believes this will only increase animosity towards the King, and attempts to storm out of her room to tell him so - unfortunately, she is still weak and doesn't make it out the door. Neil arrives at that moment, telling her she will not get a chance to communicate this to Livius: she is to be returned to the Rain Dukedom immediately on the King's orders.

Nike is very offended at this perceived dismissal, complaining to Neil as the carriage drives them away from the castle that she could have helped if he'd let her. To her surprise, Neil apologizes on Livius's behalf, explaining that the King isn't used to reaching out for the help of others, isolated in his early childhood due to his mother's heritage and then surrounded by enemies all the time. Neil explains that Livius's conquest campaign on the world was at least partly an attempt to fill the void left in his heart by his mother's assassination. The discussion is cut short by yelling outside the carriage, and Nike dismounts to the sight of the palace burning. The emergency prompts her to summon the rain, weaving her desire to show Livius that there is still beauty in the world into her song. She goes to ask Livius if his thoughts about his first experience with rain, which he says was unpleasant but catches her off guard by kissing her. He then remarks she will make his life interesting.

Over the following days, Nike often wakes up to find Livius asleep in bed with her. She also discovers that he leaves a bouquet of flowers in her room, forbidding the maids to reveal he's behind it. A conversation with Neil finally makes it clear to Nike that Livius does feel some concern for her and wants to protect her, but Nike instead vows to protect him too. Livius arranges a coming out party for her and asks that she summon the rain for the guests but she refuses and the last summoning was because it was needed as an emergency. The two get into a quarrel but Livius agrees to not use her summoning on non important matters. During the party, though there were other people present, Nike summoned the rain, strongly hinting she did it anyway not for the guests but for him.

The unexpected arrival of Princess Amaluna Luirasalle causes Nike to become more aware of her feelings for Livius. Amaluna clings to Livius and insists she is his fiancée even though he never proposed to her and says Nike is his real fiancee. She makes Nike’s life miserable by outdoing her in everything, including dancing. Nike feels a pang of jealousy when she watches Livius and Amaluna dance together, and the courtiers remark how the two are well-suited. Nike tries to be a more proper loyal but Livius assures her that none of that matters because he chose her and they should enjoy their time together, as he will grow up. This puts her at ease. Amaluna challenges her to horse game as a final test to see who is worthy of being his fiancée. However, Nike refuses to give up on Livius, explaining she has seen his weaknesses and will protect him. Amaluna concedes that Nike loves Livius for who he is. Afterwards, Nike begins calling Livius by his nickname - Livi. He is so taken aback (as she had addressed him as only Your Majesty until then) that he kisses her.

Nike begins tutoring with Neil on how to be a proper lady befitting the future Sun Queen, though she finds them boring and finds it difficult to associate with noble ladies. She begins to prepare for the engagement ceremony, only to hear it is being cancelled: the Ministry of the Priesthood has announced it does not support the union, since Nike is a foreigner - thought they claim they will reconsider if Nike undergoes a ceremony called the Rite of Illumination. Though Nike immediately offers to do it, Neil and a fuming Livius explain that the rite is a very dangerous process that could cost Nike her life, as well as a way to underline her status as a foreigner: she is to let Livius handle it, as the cancelled engagement is a symptom of the grudge they bear against Livius, not her. While moved by his promise to protect her from the priests' dislike, Nike wishes to meet her enemies.

Nike sneaks into the Sun God's temple in a maid's uniform, where she protects a maid from being struck by a minor priest. There, she comes face to face with Rani Aristels: he tells Nike that, as rain and clouds cover the sun, she and her power are a bad omen, and that Livius is no better. He is the son of a low born foreigner that the former king brought into their lives against the priesthood's opinion, and should not have been born in the first place.

The encounter leaves Nike very upset due to the sheer malice she detected in Rani Aristels. She is also heartbroken that her presence has once more put Livius in harm's way, and wonders if she'll be able to stay with him after all. She regains her spirit when the maid she rescued takes her to an orphanage that Livius recently visited: his newfound concern for war orphans, and how they all consider the change her doing, persuade Nike to actively protect Livius.

Nike insists on undergoing the Rite of Illumination, finally persuading Livius to allow it. She succeeds in finding the Sun God's statue, but the ring box that should contain her engagement ring for Livius is empty: proof that Rani Aristel never inteded to accept her. Masked and armed priests descend upon Nike, their intent to kill her evident. Not only is she a foreigner and a bad omen, she is also considered the reason that Livius is acting up even more now, introducing reforms to benefit the poor and "upsetting the structure" of their world. Nike manages to escape them and runs into Livius, who insists that he believed she could complete the rite: however, he was aware that it was a perfect opportunity for the priesthood to get rid of a princess they didn't like. The couple escapes the temple through a secret passage known only to the royal family.

When one of the would-be assassins finds them, Nike is taken aback by Livius's fraught reaction. He attacks him viciously and leads them on a wild escape, even when Nike tells him they aren't being chased anymore. Trembling, he confesses to Nike that he couldn't bear the thought of her disappearing, and that he doesn't need the ring or even the throne if she dies. In a flash, Nike realizes that she's made a mistake: in trying to protect Livius from others, she forgot he was a lonely child who'd suffered a lot of loss already. Nike embraces him and kisses his forehead, and assures him she won't be going anywhere until they reach a bright future place together. As the sun rises, they discuss on another way to complete the ring ritual since they don’t have a ring.

At the engagement ceremony, Nike presents the empty ring box but clarifies that she is not going back on the engagement. Following Livius's instructions, Nike creates a ring around the sun to replace the ring she did not acquire from the temple. When his priests' horror at the sight reveals the plot, Rani Aristel is forced to reveal himself as the responsible party. Nike steps in at that point, granting him amnesty and reducing his punishment to being removed from the priesthood - provided he allows her engagement to Livius to proceed. When he reluctantly agrees to this, she punches him in retaliation for trying to kill her.

During an exceptionally busy period in her life as a royal, Nike receives an urgent letter that her grandmother is dying. Livius makes arrangements for her to return home and he follows her ten days later. Though it turns out she merely had back pain. Nike is embarrassed when her sisters mistake Neil to be her husband until she introduces Livius to them. Nike sees how Livius is not content with her country’s way of life, and brings him soup as he views the stars. As they talk, Nike feels a foreign sensation and subconsciously kisses Livius before both go to their respective rooms, faces flushed and Nike saying her body moved on its own. The kiss remains in her mind the next day but her grandmother, opposing the engagement and wanting to keep Nike in the country, confines Nike to the Black Loctus tower and a barrier keeping her from escaping her cell. Her cousin, Kitora, keeps an eye on her. She pleads with him to release her when she realizes Livius is in trouble but he refuses as disobeying their grandmother is treason. He accuses of Nike staying with Livius out of pity or loyalty and that Livius is using her just so he can have children but Nike rejects all of his assertions. Nike hits the cell door with her body, causing her great harm, and she says she can’t give up because she loves Livius. Kitora finally releases her and she finds Kara waiting for her. Nike rushes to the lake to find Livius has seemingly drowned. A distraught Nike resuscitates Livius and says she can never sing again if she loses him. However, Livius wakes up, shows he got the key to the tower, thus winning her grandmother’s challenge, and asks if she approves now but she walks away.

Once the royal family apologizes for their role in the plot, a second engagement ceremony is held for Nike and Livius by her family, though her grandmother and Kitora refuse to attend. Nike is embarrassed when Livius recounts to her family how he threw her in the dungeon and more so when he kisses her at the urging of her uncle. Before returning to the Sun Kingdom, Nike watches Livius make amends with Kitora and she tells her grandmother that Livius is the only one who gives color in her life, which is why she wants to return to the Sun Kingdom with him. As their ship sets sail, Nike hears a song and then a rainfall appears. Nike recognizes it is her grandmother, who is wishing Nike well wishes on her way back to the kingdom.

Upon returning, Livius is kept busy with work, causing him and Nike to not see each other for a while. Nike misses him very much as she sits by a window and sadly sings, summoning a rainfall. Livius also can’t handle being away from her so while she explores a secret place Livius showed her, he sneaks away and surprises her there. They lay in the grass and watch the sky as they admit how much they missed and need each other, and share a kiss.

Upon learning the rain has stopped falling in the Sand Empire, which is facing a famine, Nike decides to go there to make it rain, although Livius is hesitant at first. She becomes acquainted with the Crown Prince Taishi, who is initially cold and suspicious towards her. Despite Livius’ apprehension, he agrees to let Nike go to the Sand Empire. However, when a sand catastrophe causes Nike to be stranded in the country, she helps the citizens and starts to become endearing to Taishi, who becomes infatuated with her. His retainers, taking notice of this, plot to keep Nike in the country and make her Taishi’s potential wife. A false message is sent to Livius that Nike was killed in a sand storm. Taishi attempts to become intimately closer to her but she is confused and doesn’t know what to do. She feels sympathy for his struggle to get close to others and obligated to help the citizens but feels guilty that she can’t return his feelings for her because she loves Livius. One of Taishi’s retainers, Falaha, attempts to help Nike escape from the oasis but when Nike says she can’t just leave the people behind to suffer, Falaha reminds her that she isn’t responsible for the people and asks who she loves. Nike immediately replies Livius, so the two continue with their attempt to escape. They are instead brought to Taishi, who asks her if she can at least say she reciprocates his feelings and say she will stay with him but she just cries for him. When Livius realizes the plot, he goes to fetch her and she is relieved to see him. Taishi realizes he can never force Nike to stay with him, admits his plot, and is ready for any punishment Livius gives him. Nike, however, begs Livius to spare him and, in an act of mercy, Livius forgives Taishi and offers to help build a bridge that will allow better water passage to the country.

Upon returning the the palace, Livius begins ignoring Nike for not rejecting Taishi’s advances. Nike attempts to speak to him about the matter but he refuses to talk to her. She finally pulls him into her room and angrily lashes out at him for ignoring her. She says that she never stopped thinking about him the whole time. Livius feels bad for ignoring her and they reconcile. They share a kiss and lay in bed together.

Luna returns to the Sun Kingdom in distress - she had been betrothed to Duke Claudis Fortis, who is much older than her, and seeks Nike and Livius’ help to get the engagement canceled. When they hear rumors that Fortis is a sexual deviant, they agree to help her. While Livius offers to travel back to the Ocean Kingdom with her and attempt to discourage Fortis, Nike reluctantly agrees to cross dress as a man named Kanaris Micaine and as Luna’s ‘real fiance’. Nike at one point mentions to Luna that Livius is annoyed that the plan calls for "Kanaris" to sleep in Luna's room, to feed palace gossip. They travel to the Ocean Kingdom with Luna, who intends to leave Fortis stranded on an island. The plan goes awry when Nike and Livius's boat is carried off by the wind and Nike, overcome by the climate, the use of her powers and the bodice constricting her chest, collapses, leaving all four trapped in the island. At the end, Fortis reveals the engagement was a ploy to infiltrate the royal family, due to Fortis having captured a ship carrying Black Rizeria flowers (a narcotic) to their stores, but as he now knows the royal family to be innocent of the trafficking, he will cancel the engagement. However Luna, having grown attached to Fortis during their time on the island, refuses to let him break off the engagement. Nike and Livius support her choice to go through the engagement and encourage her to go after him.

When Livius’ birthday comes around, Nike notices Livius has gotten taller and she wonders what present she should get him as she sees the extravagant preparations for the party. Although Livius jokingly asks that she wear only a ribbon and be his present, she makes him a flower crown and places it in his head as her gift to him. During the preparations, she visits the city and meets a young man but Nike is surprised to find he is actually a beautiful girl. The two quickly become friendly and Nike begins meeting with her in secret to teach her how to sing. During the festivities, it initially goes well. However, Nike finds Livius in an unstable state of kind after finding a medical cup in their room. He becomes hostile towards her by pinning her to the bed and threatens to kill those she cherishes if she leaves him. Nike is disturbed by his behavior and tries to hide it from Neil and the guests. On the night of the ball, Nike is forbidden from seeing Livius, who is in a deep unstable condition. She hides her sadness at his behavior and solemnly attends the party. Livius is nearly assassinated by Nero but Livius assaults him and attempts to shoot him before Ursula attempts to stab him. Nike, recognizing her as the girl from earlier, takes the stab. Nike survives the stabbing and, after she is treated, she goes with Livius to see Ursula in the dungeon to make sure he doesn’t use torture. She learns that Ursula is Livius’ former fiancée and he destroyed her country years before meeting Nike. Livius is eager to execute Ursula for the assassination attempt but Usrula doesn’t care what happens to her. Nike is confused why Ursula didn’t say she knew who she was and why she continued their visits. Ursula says it was just a ploy and tells Nike that because she is the Sun Queen, she should come to hate her, putting Nike in a complicated matter.

When the palace comes under siege by the Rebel/Klauss Faction and the city is overcome by poison smoke, Nike, Livius, and the rest of the royals and courtiers seek shelter on the upper floors and barricade themselves inside. Livius wants to head north to destroy the Ice Kingdom in retaliation but Nike tells him that she can’t follow him on a path or revenge but she vows to never leave him because she loves him. As poison smoke engulfs the country, despite feeling weak, Nike summons a powerful thunderstorm to ward off the poison air. Livius, having felt her body unusually cold and having a bad feeling, tries to stop her to no avail. She finally comes to her senses when Kara unexpectedly arrives and uses a necklace of black loctus stones to calm Nike down. However, she immediately falls unconscious. The palace doctor tells Livius that Nike is suffering from a slow poison (from Ursula’s dagger) and all treatments are not working. prove to be ineffective. Nike suffers from painful convulsions until Kara puts her into a coma-like sleep that will last for a month until Livius can locate Cassandra, a witch who specializes in pharmacy. During Livius’ journey to find Cassandra, Nike is able to keep track of him via her mind.

Once Cassandra is brought to the palace, she tries three treatments to save Nike. The first two fail but the third, administrated by Livius via mouth, is a success. She happily greets Livius, who breaks down in tears and embraces her. As she recovers, Livius never leaves her side. When Nike is well enough to get out of bed, she and Livius take a walk through the courtyard, where Nike hears a maid and gardener talking about Cassandra as his concubine, causing Livius to explain how he presented Cassandra as a concubine to the priests in order to get her inside the city so they wouldn’t oppose him and leave Nike to die. Nike initially understands that Livius had to lie about Cassandra being his concubine in order to get her into the palace.

At Bard’s suggestion, Nike and Livius agree to show Cassandra around the city disguised as a family (Cassandra and Neil as the parents and Nike, Livius and Jinshin as the children). However, Nike feels jealous when people remark Cassandra’s beauty and u Serrano why Livius chose her as a concubine. She also feels jealous to see Livius be friendly with others, as beforehand, the only person he truly had was her. Livius notices this and confronts her when she separates herself from the group. Upon confronting her, Nike cries how much she hates it and he comforts her. When their disguise is discovered, he publicly ‘repudiates’ Cassandra and vows to be faithful to Nike because she is the one he loves. Nike is devastated when she learns she lost her ability to summon rain and wind. Livius surprises her by announcing he is building a garden for her. When he freaks out about caterpillars crawling on him, she discovers she has regained the ability to summon wind but not rain.

Nike and Livius decide to take a vacation to the hot springs and are assigned a bodyguard, Galta Bayreuth. During the route, they take a detour to the grasslands, which is where Livius’ mother lived. He takes the opportunity to formally propose to her and suggests they have their wedding in the spring. Although embarrassed, she accepts. Upon reaching the village, Nike explores the town with Galta. Livius offers her to wear revealing bathing suits but she disappoints him by wearing a moderate bathing suit. As they bathe, she asks him if he can wait for them to consummate their marriage until she feels ready, and he agrees.

Nike and Galta are knocked unconscious and kidnapped by the Rebel/Klauss Faction, led by Nephero Styx Lethe of the Grand Sky Duchy. He reveals his plot to make her his weapon to destroy the Sun Kingdom. Nike uses her wind summoning to fight back but he forces her to take medicine (via forcibly kissing her) that prevents her from using her powers. As Galta is being held hostage, Nike is forced to abide Nephero’s demands. His retainers and the people of the duchy right away treat her well. She starts to feel empathy for the townspeople and even helps them when an earthquake causes a waterway to collapse. Nephero showers her with fine clothes and jewelry to win her over, which she rips off and retorts she only wears such things for the Sun King. Nephero announces to the court that he will marry her, much to her shock and she confronts him, as she is already engaged to Livius. He demands that she submit to his marriage proposal but when she refuses, he takes Sheila’s ring from her. She tries to secretly retrieve it in his room but he catches her and attempts to rape her but she starts to cry and he leaves. She is saved by a man named Al who offers to help her escape but they are found by Nephero’s search party. Al reveals he is initially in league with Nephero but his plan was to get Nike close to a location where a catastrophe code is at because her powers and that she is a descendent of the creators of the catastrophe code stones are necessary. Under the code’s influence, she summons heavy rain and a thunderstorm, causing the destruction of the duchy. Livius tries to save her but she is stopped when a black Loctus stone (left by Al) makes contact with her. Upon being reunited with Livius, Nephero saves the two from being crushed by debris. Although Nike hates him and can never forgive him for what he did to her, she can’t leave him to die. Nephero loses his sight and ability to move his limbs, causing Nike and Livius to pity him and decide his condition is punishment enough for his crimes. Nike is horrified by the damage she did but the townspeople forgive her and she helps with the provisions.

Realizing Al is targeting Nike for her powers, Nike, Livius, Galta, and Neil travel to the Ice Kingdom as another monument with a catastrophe code is located there. However, the nobles are supporters of the faction and are aiding Ursula in her plot to kill Livius. Ursula asks Nike to join her in her plot for revenge but Nike refuses. The four escape but Neil offers himself as a hostage to let the others escape. They find shelter with former members of the original faction. While Livius goes to deal with Al and Ursula, Nike stays behind but she starts to worry for Livius so she follows him to the ice towers. Because Livius has a lock of her hair with him near the monument, the code is activated and all the countries around the world are hit by catastrophic weather. Nike is meet by the spirit of the former protector of the world and he asks her to sing with him so the destruction can be stopped. She does so and the protector notices she not only stopped the destruction but the world is restoring itself. However, he warns her that the catastrophic code that was activated won’t end until the world is destroyed and only the main system in the northenmost region can stop it before he thanks her and disappears. Nike is relieved that Livius escapes from the chaos and makes amends with Ursula, though she is shocked by the brutal beating Livius allows Ursula to subject him to in retribution to what he did to her.

They travel north to the Twilight country, where the main system is located, and meet Ain, a former faction member and acquaint of Al’s. After hearing about Al’s backstory with Ain, Nike and Livius feel pity for Al. The two then discuss their future - having their wedding and becoming a family, and discuss on having children one day. When they arrive at the ice towers, they see Al has already activated the code. When they find him and his companion, Zwei, he reveals his true plot: by activating as many codes as possible and wrecking havoc on the world, he would awaken Sidon (whose voice told him to destroy the world and was the only person who showed him love) and be able to see her again, which shocks Nike but angers Livius because so many people died and so much was lost for a selfish goal. Nike and Livius try to deactivate the code but can’t due to the language barrier. Rejected by Sidon, Al wonders if he can live. Despite her contempt for him, Nike says he can. As they all try to escape from the cave collapsing, they fall into a dark void. Nike awakens to find the former world protector healing the others and she is in a special hyperspace where the protector watches over the world. Due to Al’s impurity, the protector can’t heal him and Nike doesn’t want him to die so she asks how he can be saved. The protector shows her Al’s tragic backstory and says he doesn’t have the power to heal all of them so a new protector must be selected. Nike realizes she is the next one to be chosen as the protector, meaning she will never return to her world nor see Livius ever again. However, determined to protect the world and Livius from certain death should she decline the offer and let the world be ruined, she agrees on the condition she speak to Livius. Once he wakes up, she takes a walk with him and tries to act cheerful but he knows she is putting up a front. Nike then explains the situation and her choice to him. Livius panicky begs Nike to stay with him, even if it means the world will end. Nike professes her love to him and apologizes for their failed dream, and kisses him before she disappears and he wakes up in the real world. Nike uses her voice to heal the world and thus saving it from destruction.

After becoming protector, she develops an attachment to the original protector and is initially saddened when she realizes she will be able to return to her world but then is overjoyed at being able to reunite with Livius for good. When she returns, six years have passed. She sings a song as she appears in front of a grown Livius. Both tearfully embrace as Nike says she came back to be his wife.

Six months later, Nike and Livius finally get married, and Nike becomes the official Sun Queen.

Relationships[]

Livius I[]

At their first meeting, Nike was shocked that Livius was a child and was instantly not keen at marrying a boy much younger than her despite his royal status as the Sun King. She regarded Livius as a 'brat' and observed his blue eyes were 'non-child like': she was constantly offended by how flippant his treatment of her rain summoning was and how distant he acted. Despite this, she was saddened by how he seemed incapable of seeing the beauty of the world, and decided to stay to help him.

Her views on Livius began to change when she noticed small signs of his humanity (picking bouquets for her and leaving them in her room in secret), which gave her courage to keep trying to reach the vulnerable parts of his heart. It is during this time that Neil reveals to her that Livius used to take a powerful medicine to sleep at night, every night for three years - until he started sneaking into Nike's bed. Realizing that she's already made headway into his heart somehow, Nike is inspired to try even more. When she summoned the rain during the coming-out party Livius organized for her, Nike made it clear that she had done it, not for their guests, but for him: to reach the parts of his heart where his pain and his memories were locked away. She succeeded, and was pleased when Livius said he'd noticed.

When the Sun God's priesthood forbade their engagement, Nike learned of the amount of hatred Livius had to bear since he was very young, and was grieved that he was once more subjected to hatred and scorn thanks to her. This prompts Nike to take a more active role in protecting Livius. When Livius rushes to her aid during the botched Rite of Illumination and breaks down emotionally at the thought of losing her, Nike realizes that she's let herself be misled by his calmness and that Livius is, in the end, still a young boy who's experienced a lot of loss. Moved by Livius's attachment to her, Nike promises to stay with him until they can reach a brighter future together.

Despite her clarity about Livius's feeling for her, it isn't until the arrival of Princess Amaluna that Nike begins to make sense of her own feelings for Livius. Luna's taunting and her abilities at all the things Nike is only beginning to make sense of making her doubt her worthiness to become the Sun King's wife. She takes it very hard when Livius and Luna's dance makes the attending servants and retainers heap praises on both of them as a couple. However, the feelings of doubt only push her to try harder. All her doubt falls to the wayside when Livius assures her he isn't letting her go and that he's sure only she can give him what he wants - something far more important to him than manners, dancing and benefits for the Sun Kingdom. Nike herself is surprised by how a few words from him make her feel better.

Nike finally becomes aware of her feelings for Livius during their extended trip to the Rain Dukedom. She notices a feeling beginning to bloom within her, and also begins to act more freely, first hugging Livius and then kissing him without pretenses for the first time. She also becomes more aware of Livius as a male, becoming uncomfortable with seeing him naked even though it's happened so often she feels she should be used to it. It's also during this trip that her grandmother's plot to keep her in the Rain Dukedom happens: Nike is horrified when she's informed that Livius will be hypnotized to forget her and tries to ram down the door to her cell in the Black Lotus tower, not stopping until she bleeds. When Kitora asks her why she won't stop, Nike confesses that she loves Livius. Her actions and words are so passionate that Kitora can't help but let her out.

Nike is devastated when she finds Livius has seemingly drowned, all the while thinking that she will never be able to sing anything again if he doesn't survive. She is overjoyed when he comes to. Though it pains her to leave her family and to go against the wishes of her grandmother, Nike tells the latter (through a closed door) that Livius is the person who gives color to her life and sense to her existence.

The deep emotions between the two often manifest in playful arguments. Nike is especially fond of calling Livius a brat and he takes delight in teasing her.

When Livius suffered a mental breakdown due to the guilt of his past crimes, he becomes physically and emotionally hostile towards Nike - even threatening to kill all her loved ones if she leaves him. Although she contemplates leaving him because she can’t follow him on a path of revenge, she reassures him of her love for him and saves him from being assassinated but is left poisoned and temporarily lost her summoning powers. It is after she survives this near death experience that she and Livius start to become openly affectionate towards each other. After she recovers, she and Livius take the chance to go on vacation and decide to have their wedding in the upcoming spring.

Nike’s kindness and powers make her a target and have even made other men enamored of her, making her initially unsure how to reject them as she doesn’t want to cause political rifts nor enrage Livius, who is intolerate of other men fawning over Nike. However, she takes her engagement to Livius very seriously to the point she refuses to wear fine dresses and jewelry for no one but Livius. It is shown that Nike is willing to risk her own existence if it means protecting Livius; by becoming the world’s protector, Livius would be saved from death and live on. At the end though, Nike is relieved to return to Livius so she can finally marry him.

Bardwin Cecil Ifrikia[]

At first, Nike didn't know what to hear about Livius' uncle. One should know that he was charming, and he knew that the motives of his return, which I had not seen, were hidden. Nike also didn't like flirting because it froze every time he touched her or showered her with exaggerated praise. Finally, when Bard approached her in the abandoned bedroom, claiming that he had fallen in love with her: Nike sensed that all these words were false, and I informed Bard of this firm voice. She was surprised when her reaction pleased Bard. It led her to release Bard from the dungeons and talk to him about his relationship with Livi. He was pleased to discover that Bard really cared about Livius, that his destiny was when the Prime Minister was to protect the Sun King and his attempt to seduce was a test, author: Livius's future wife was truly devoted to him. She is furious when Bard tells her that he appears to leave again and is plotting with Neil to reconcile them.

Afterwards, she and Bard become good friends. He even seeks her out when she's sad and asks her to confide in him, calling himself an older brother when he fulfills that role.

Amaluna Luirasalle[]

Luna is Livius' childhood friend. She was completely head-over-heels for him, and had many attempts to dispose and humiliate Nike, of which she took hard. It is not confirmed that Nike was jealous throughout the whole episode/chapter but her actions seem to be of that. Luna, in a scene, had danced with Livius after another try in humiliating her in front of everyone and possibly due to the compliments of the guests towards Luna and the sayings that they should be together and not Nike, this lead to the rain princess slipping away. Luna quickly follows and says harsh things towards her while Neil eavesdropped. After everything, Nike is comforted by Livius by saying that he would not let her go no matter what the others say and they share a quiet dance together. Luna spied on them. The next morning Nike is challenged by Luna and the ocean kingdom princess manages to get into an accident regarding Nike's sayings of how she loved Livius, and was saved by Nike. They become closer and Luna finally accepts that Nike is Livius' soulmate.

In the manga, the princess returns for help in preventing her marriage to Duke Claude Fortis. She joking states she wishes Nike was her finance instead. Nike ends up crossdressing, pretending to be her lover.

Neil[]

Neil is the butler of Livius. He is the practice partner of Nike in dancing and is mostly the one to tutor her in some subjects. Neil often scolds Nike of being improper toward Livius or just being genuinely improper, they are in good terms nonetheless. He is often interrupted by Livius throughout these scolds, with the young king reminding him that he is used to it. Neil says that although Nike lacks value when it comes to becoming the Sun Queen, the devotion and love she holds for Livius is enough for Neil to accept her as Livius’ wife and Neil will protect her.

Powers and abilities[]

Nike is the the top vocalist of the Rain principality and thus contains the knowledge of all her country's spells

  • Summon rain. Although, in some regions e.g the Sand kingdom the atmosphere is unsuitable and requires positive energy from the people
  • When summoning rain, she communicates with the sky as she is able to get a general impression of the land and the people
  • Nike's rain causes those to feel it be emotionally elevated
  • Optical phenomenons - Halo
  • Manipulate the wind to act as a weapon e.g she has used it to cut metal bars and block swords, she can also directly cut someone or use it to propel ships.
  • Fog manipulation
  • Destructive spells (which are considered taboo) include thunder, lightning, hurricanes, tornados and storms. According to legend there are some capable of wiping out entire countries

As Nike is the most powerful rain summoner in the Rain Dukedom's recorded history, her powers are so vast that they're limited by the Black Lotus stones in her earrings. When part of one of these earrings broke mid-summoning, the storm became very strong, and Nike herself felt that there was a vast power threatening to take away her very individuality.

She briefly loses the ability to summon wind and rain after being stabbed by a poison dagger. Though she quickly regains the ability to summon the wind, it would take a longer time for her to regain the ability to summon rain and she does so while under the influence of the Grand Sky Duchy catastrophe code.

As the most powerful summoner of the dukedom, she was the only one capable of stopping the world’s catastrophe via destructive weather by becoming the world’s protector. Her powers are deemed to be in the same level as the original protector and thus made her the most suited choice to be the new protector and stop the catastrophe.

Trivia[]

  • Nike's age is never directly stated, however, her age range is heavily implied to be 16-18 years old in the beginning of the series; meaning their is a 4-6 year age gap between her and Livius. This is shown by her alternate parallel counterpart in the modern world, shown in the extra chapters, where she is attending highschool in which the age ranges for highschool in Japan is 16-18 years old(10-12th grade).[2]
  • Nike’s name comes from the Greek goddess of victory.
  • Nike is noted to be strong enough to beat up four palace guards, although she was thrown in prison for it.
  • Although Nike has no experience in politics and lacks value to becoming the Sun Queen, her influence over Livius actually makes him a more generous king and she guides him to make peace with other countries without threats of wars and retaliation.
  • Nike is skilled at games, particularly dart games, which she and Livius are shown to be equally good at.
  • Even though Nike's rain manipulation works through her singing, she whispers when she uses the wind.
  • Unlike her family, Nike was not originally able to summon rain, it was only after extensive training under her grandmother that she was able to do so.
  • Nike's powers are so great that she requires a limiter to suppress them. They take the form of earrings made from black lotus stones which nullify her family's power to some extent.
  • Like her older sisters, Nike is fond of cute/pretty boys and girls and likes to dress them up. A running gag in the manga is that characters often end up cross-dressing. This reached the point where Nike nonchalantly asked Galta Bayreuth, a military warrior whether he wanted to disguise himself as girl when exploring a town.
  • Nike herself has been known to cross-dress. Her most well known cross-drassing instance was when she pretended to be a vice-captain of the Ocean Kingdom's army named Kanaris, to help her friend Luna escape her then-unwanted fiancé Claude Fortis.
    • "Kanaris" became wildly admired by women, which made Nike lament bitterly that she was more popular as a man than as a woman. However, many women remained adoring fans even after it was revealed that Kanaris was a female, immediately repairing Nike's self esteem.
  • Nike is considered a tomboy. She grew fond of dresses though her role as Sun Queen and because Livius likes seeing her dressed up. However, she considers dressing up to be part of her duty to the Sun Kingdom and does not do so for the sake of entertaining others.
  • In addition, Nike hates wearing anything that reveals too much skin, such as bikinis though she was willing to wear one since Livius wanted to see her in one in chapter 75.5.
  • Her date of birth is on the 5th of March.
  • Nike has a pet scorpion named Spinny.

Gallery[]

  1. The World is Still Beautiful - Chapter 20, Extra
  2. The World is Still Beautiful - Chapter 20 & 77, Extras
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