Johann

Johann (ヨーハン, Yōhan^?) is the former Mystes and one of the creators of the Reiji Maigo. He is also referred to as "Eternal Lover" (永遠の恋人, Eien no Koibito^?) and, with Pheles, referred to as Engage Link (約束の二人エンゲージ・リンク, Engēji Rinku^?, lit., "The Promised Pair").

Appearance

Johann has a mixture of green and brown-tinged hair with brown eyes. He always wears a long jacket over a white shirt, and two small, silver earrings on both of his ears. He has part of the left side of his hair braided.

Personality

Johann is good natured and cheerful.

Background

While he was an infant, Pheles murdered his father, Georgius, who tried to sacrifice Johann for a useless Unrestricted Spell to gain eternal youth. Pheles fled with Johan from his home and wandered the world together since. When Johann was just a child, they flew to a green field with a castle and a lake nearby. Johann passed out near the lake. Pheles then let Johann go flying with her where ever he wanted, but they never returned to the field. As she raised Johann, Pheles had expected his heart to become corrupted in the same manner as his father when she fulfilled his wishes and desires. It seemed by chance that when Johann reached a later age, he asked for one thing that caught Pheles offguard: herself, an indication that Johann had fallen in love with Pheles.

At the end of a festival they had attended, Johann was sad. Pheles had told him that she will give him whatever he wanted, where he states that he wants her and to be with her forever. They kiss and float upwards. He says he wants to play a trick on time. Upon the beginnings of the Engage Link, the Reiji Maigo was created to ensure eternal life to Johann and for Pheles to cease consuming humans. After his rebirth as a Mystes, he trained himself and became a powerful master of Unrestricted Spell, enhanced with his ability to sense Power of Existence.

In a short time, they were traveling through the world with Wilhelmina after a fateful meeting. Wilhelmina was chasing a certain Denizen (Senmurw) in the desert but eventually got caught in the trap set by Sabrac. She miraculously survived the incident and found herself being taken care by Pheles and Johann, the Engage Link. Since then, the four (including Tiamat) formed a relationship and decided to travel together avoiding Sabrac (who was hired to find the Reiji Maigo) but eventually they were lured into his trap again.

Sabrac destroyed the Outlaw post in Central Asia which was run by "Rider of Jade Crest" Nam, who was previously acquainted with the Engage Link as the trap to end the game of hide and seek. Johann was fatally injured in the battle so Pheles decided to seal him inside the Reiji Maigo but before it could escape the battle, Sabrac cast a part of the Psalm of Grand Order into it too. Reiji Maigo then transported itself into Yūji Sakai, who was up until now possessing it.

While Johann was sealed inside the Reiji Maigo, he still managed to keep his conscious intact and started his research on the Psalm of the Grand Order that had been inserted inside. He discovered that this Unrestricted Spell Insignia caused both him and the Reiji Maigo to mutate completely. At first, he was going to examine these insignia until he discovered a solution, while waiting for Pheles to find him.^[1] Along the way, Johann modified and activated the absorption ability of the Tyrant I that was cohabiting with him inside their host. He created a circuit using part of Power of Existence taken from the Reiji Maigo's regenerative power to constantly deploy a scanning and searching network. Inwardly, the circuit was used for the research and analysis of the Psalm of the Grand Order, while outwardly, it enabled the host to perceive the presence of Crimson Denizens.^[2]

Johann assessed that the host, who was driven by an incomprehensible sensing ability, would instinctively approach nearby Fūzetsu and Denizens. As he was able to move freely within the Fūzetsu, the host would even take some sort of action toward Denizens who knew of Reiji Maigo's worth and would naturally reach out to obtain it. By utilizing the absorption ability of the Tyrant I (or the Kaikin of the God of Creation as he viewed it), Power of Existence would be absorbed into the host and serve as sustenance sufficient for Johann's revival. Conversely, the Power of Existence might be taken by those Denizens, allowing them to use it as they pleased. In this way, Johann aimed to bide his time and he would eventually decipher the entirety of the massive Psalm of the Grand Order and find a solution.^[2]

There were two problems remained. Firstly, the Kaikin of the God of Creation indiscriminately devoured anything, and there were far too many portions of the insignia that remain unanalyzed. Secondly, his own ego that became ambiguous would cause trouble for Pheles when she found him. He remained certain that Pheles would eventually find him with the Unrestricted Spell, Kaze no Tenrin. He also hoped that when Pheles' puppet got consumed by the Tyrant, she would realize the significance of the situation; she would carefully approached the host and salvaged himself.^[2]

But his plan to take it easy was destroyed when the host, Yūji Sakai, met the Flame Haze Shana. Yūji had survived, learned, and grown. He ended up encountering none other than the General of Bal Masqué, who was searching for the Reiji Maigo; this particular encounter had brought him to this fate.^[2] Now, he no longer had enough time and no choice but to abandon his revival.^[3]

Plot

"Colorful Wave" Arc

After Yūji faints and falls from the sky, Hecate blasts him with her Unrestricted Spell, Aster. Within the blast, Yūji turns into Johann. Johann floats down to Pheles, and they embrace. The pair float upwards inside a twister, arguing over who missed the other more. Johann gets annoyed when Hecate and Fecor attack the twister to no avail. As they start to leave the Fūzetsu, Johann says sorry to Wilhelmina. Johann and Pheles kiss, as Johann starts giving Pheles his Power of Existence. After a bright light, Johann falls, turning back into Yūji.^[4]

Grand Order Arc

Johann communicates to Kazumi through the Giralda, because the Kaikin had been freed when Hecate extracted the Reiji Maigo from Yūji, telling her to inform Wilhelmina and the others about what is happening.^[5]

Final Battle of Misaki City Arc

Johann was awakened by Pheles in her twister after Kazumi summoned her to the battlefield. He appears in front of Yūji and places his palm against his, introducing himself to Yūji and the Snake of the Festival. He takes his palm away from Yūji's, extracting the Reiji Maigo from Yūji. The Treasure Tool is trapped in a ball in-between their hands, as Yūji is fighting against Johann. The Snake of the Festival asks Johann if he knows what Yūji is trying to accomplish, and he replies that he understands his passion and resolve, but can't agree with him, saying he doesn't like the outcome because it will make people sad. He comments that Shana will be sad, saying that Yūji has forgotten about her because of his plan, and that he should have told Shana about it. He also noted that Yūji belittles love. Johann says that Yūji had underestimated Shana's feelings for him. He pointed out that Yūji thinks that Yūji himself is the only one who could sacrifice the world for love when in fact; he himself had done the same thing. He calls Pheles and they embrace. They activate an Unrestricted Spell that smashes into the river, allowing the Hyakki Yakō's van to drive up it. When it enters the twister, Johann, as well as Pheles and an unconscious Kazumi, enter. The van leaves on the spell, disappearing.^[6]

The van, with Khamsin as a bodyguard, drives along the road, attacked by countless Crimson Denizens. Pheles and Johann however, are not in the van; in their place is a bulb-like blue-green container.^[7]

In Kazumi's dream, Johann is sitting on a stone fence with Pheles sleeping on his shoulder. He thanks Kazumi for making Pheles grant his wish. He reveals that Pheles felt bad for not letting Wilhelmina come with her, and that he has a message for Kazumi. Because he doesn't have the Reiji Maigo anymore, he is just a Torch, and wants to pass on his hope, hinting that this was his plan. Johann says that they had taken advantage of the God of Creation's ambition and guided events to turn up as they have. He reveals that they are at a place that he went to with Pheles when he was young. Pheles wakes up. They approach Kazumi, but disappear as Kazumi wakes up from the dream.^[8]

Later, it is revealed that Johann and Pheles used their Power of Existence to bore Justus, the Heir to Both Worlds, and that Johann's message to Kazumi was for Wilhelmina to take care of Justus. It is approved by Shaher, the God of Guidance because of the overflowing power when the Crimson Denizen left the Human World for Xanadu.^[9][10]

Relationships

Pheles

Johann and Pheles are lovers. Later in the end of the series, they merged their existences to create Justus.

Justus

Justus is a half-human and Denizen child created by the existences of Johann and Pheles, and the Power of Existence left by the Denizens as they're going to Xanadu.

Powers and Abilities

Unrestricted Spells

Johann is shown to be able to float or at least slow the rate of his descent while in the air.^[4]

Stigma-breaking Insignia (スティグマ破りの自在式, Sutiguma-yaburi no Jizai-shiki^?): After his rebirth as a Mystes due to the Reiji Maigo, Johann trained himself and became a powerful master of Unrestricted Spells, enhanced with his ability to sense Power of Existence. He created an Unrestricted Spell insignia to be used to counter Sabrac's Stigma, but never got a chance to use it.^[11]

Treasure Tools

Reiji Maigo (零時迷子, Reiji Maigo^?, Midnight Lost Child): Before Johann was sealed within the Reiji Maigo, the Treasure Tool was inside him. As Johann was a Torch, he was eventually going to fade away, but with the Reiji Maigo, all of his Power of Existence would be replenished at midnight, putting an end to his frail existence as a Torch and giving him eternal life. This, however, can only work if Johann still has Power of Existence when midnight strikes.

Quotes

• (To Pheles): "Come here, Pheles! Sorry I made you wait so long."^[4]
• (To Yūji and the Snake of the Festival): "Yo. Nice to meet you, I guess. Sakai Yūji-kun and Sairei no Hebi-san. I'll be taking our Treasure Tool back. Reiji Maigo."^[6]
• (To Yūji): "Oh, I get it. You aren't taking love seriously, are you?"^[6]
• (To Yūji about love): "Love lets you do anything, hurdle over any obstacles and common sense. It's supposed to be an amazing thing."^[6]
• (To Kazumi and Pheles): "No matter what happens... no matter what happens to me... as long as I'm with Pheles..."^[8]

Trivia

• The names of Pheles and Johann may be references to the Faust legend. Johann could be derived from Johann Faust, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe or Johann Sebastian Bach.

Gallery

Johann appearing outside Johann seeing Pheles Johann falling Johann defeated by Sabrac Johann communicating to Kazumi through the Giralda Johann in front of Yūji Johann and Yūji fighting over the Reiji Maigo Johann talking to Yūji Johann reuniting with Pheles Johann talking to Kazumi Johann telling Pheles that they can overcome his death by making a child from their Power of Existence

Notes

References

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