Rui Hachiouji

Rui Hachiouji (八王子 泪, Hachiouji Rui), also known as "The Prince" (ルイルイ王子), is Code:05 of the Code:Breakers who used to be called the "Graceful God Guardian" of the Re-Code and she seems to know Shibuya's true identity which is part of why he fears her.

Appearance
Rui is an attractive fair-skinned woman with chin-length light blue hair that she tucks behind her right ear with the rest of the hair hanging on the left side, dark purple eyes and a mole under her right eye.

She wears an outfit that resembles a biker's; a white T-shirt with a black jacket that is seemingly made of leather, dark blue jeans and black shoes.

When she was a member of the Re:Codes, she wore a black outfit that is a black long sleeved long coat and a black long skirt, in addition to wearing her hair to waist length.

Her alter ego, a rock star named 8 Tears, wears a white dress that stops just under her knees with a jacket and cowboy hat.

She looks around Rei Ogami's age, but she is most probably a litte older. In chapter 166, when it was revealed Chibigami was the one who attempted to kill Rui and her family, Rui looked about his age then.

In her lost form, she turns into a mermaid.

Personality
Rui may look like a fierce and scary person and someone who shows no mercy at all but in actual fact, she is an extremely shy person. Whenever she is complimented, she bangs her head into anything (wall, people, etc.). She is one of the strongest Code Breakers after Masaomi Heike. She has a very warm and kind personality (Chapter 69) and is also a very caring person.

She's one of the few Code:Breakers to openly disagree with the methods employed by Eden. This and her relationship with The One Being Sought, make her capable of standing up against Eden for the sake of Rei Ogami.

She can be rather tomboyish but can also be girlish, such as when she dislikes being seen cooking or in her mermaid form (although this could be attributed to her shyness as well). She can also be slow to read the mood as when she saved Toki Fujiwara, Sakura Sakurakouji and Yuuki Tenpouin who were on their lost forms she failed to notice her shirt was wet and thus her chest was visible while ironically boasting how perceptive she was of the "boys intentions" at the beach.

Background
Rui used to live in a house with her parents and her younger brother, Saechika Hachiouji. Her entire family consisted of Power Users, presumably all Shadow Users as well. Her parents were actually researchers under Eden who developed the "Dark Sides".

However, her parents were killed in an accident (caused by Mishiru) where she assumed Saechika was killed too; Rui was protected from the fire by her Dark Side. Kouji, one of the Re-Codes, saved her from the accident and raised her. In the past, she worked for "The One Being Sought", as revealed by a picture of her standing with Kouji and Yukihina (Chapter 62). That angered Toki when he learned that she worked with his sister's supposed killer.

When she was part of the Re:Code, she was known as the "Iron Wall Defense" and "Graceful God Guardian" due to her impressive defensive abilities, as well as her desire to protect others as she could not do so for her family.

She also recruited Hiyori, searching for her along with the other Re:Codes upon discovering that there was a rogue Power User, and managed to calm Hiyori down with a hug when she attacked her.

History
Rui first appeared in Chapter 60 when she catches a handbag snatcher who had stolen Sakura Sakurakouji's bag with a rod, before knocking him out with a headbutt. She did the same to Toki Fujiwara soon after, telling him not to "break the eggs" he and Sakura had bought from the supermarket. When she returned to the Shibuya Mansion with them, she headbutted Rei Ogami, Yuuki Tenpouin and Shibuya after seeing how disorganized the mansion was. However, she later shows her caring side by cleaning up the place and cooking for everyone. When asked by Sakura why she had become a Code:Breaker, Rui evaded the question. However, in chapter 63, after saving Toki, Ogami and Sakura and defeating Ryuuji Sendou, she stated that what she wanted to protect was no longer in the Re:Codes. She also seems to know a little about Sakura's past when talking to the president in chapter 63.

Rui in kanji means 'tears'. Her parents named her that as they wanted Rui to be compassionate and cry for those who were suffering from hardships. In chapter 87, it is revealed that she is a rock star, stage-named 8 Tears. Code:Emperor, after hearing her voice on the television, instantly became her biggest fan and fell in love with her music. He may even have a huge crush on her as he blushed when Rui kissed him on the cheek.

The main reason stated for why she sings is that Rui regrets not singing to her younger brother, Saechika. Back when she was younger, Saechika always wanted her to sing songs to him. Rui was too embarrassed back then and declined, causing him to burst into tears. Chibigami (Ogami) then set the car Rui and her family were in on fire. Her parents died there and there, and she assumed Saechika had too. Rui thought she was the sole survivor and only managed to live as her Dark Side had protected her. So, she dedicates her songs to him.

Kouji witnessed the whole incident when the car was set on fire and rushed over to save her. She was unconscious but later revived. When Rui was conscious again, she wanted Kouji to train her but he rejected that request, saying girls should not be on battlefields. Even so, she insisted, going as far as cuting most of her long hair, discarding her feminity. Kouji was impressed by this and knew how determined she was and finally agreed. Eventually, he raised her as a comrade.

During Eden's hunt for Ogami's arm, Rui explained the real reason why she left the Re:Codes and joined the Code:Breaker was because "The One Being Sought" wanted her to protect Ogami from Eden. Unknown to her, "He" had also sent Kouji and Yukihina to protect Ogami as well.

Kibou Festival
In chapter 147, during the Kibou Festival, Rui noticed Toki confronting Kouji on the incident of the death of his sister. Seeing them quarrel, she sighed and wondered if they could ever get along. She thought back to what Saechika had said earlier that if Kouji had not gotten in his way, he would have killed both Toki and Nenene Fujiwara. From there, she realized Saechika was the one who had killed Nenene and not Kouji. But when she she questioned Kouji, he simply insisted that he was the actual murderer, that it would be better that way and he would sever that "chain of sorrow". Rui would have pushed on if Toki had not stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

In Chapter 149, during the Kibou Fest, she fought with her clone and managed to overcome her easily, until her clone changed and became more monstrous, dark, and dangerous. Rui was shocked and was skeptical that the clone's current form represented a darker side of her. The clone admitted that the power 'Shadow' has a dark personality that is brutal, vicious and despicable. She chided Rui for trying to be good and ignoring the true potential of her powers. Even Yuuki noticed that the clone's dark power was more powerful that Rui.

Kouji revealed that he sensed, although faintly, her darker powers long ago, saying that 'it' existed beyond Rui's conscious mind. This hints Rui was not even aware of it herself. When she was still with "The One Being Sought", she got drunk and wondered why was she the only one who survived from that horrible incident. It seemed that her darker persona instinctively came out and saved her. Kouji also stated that Rui's deadly sin was Sloth and the only way to overcome it was to accept her dark side. She eventually embraces the power of the Dark Side to protect Yuuki and Sakura from her clone and destroys it easily. She then attempted to attack Yuuki and Sakura but was able to regain control. Afterwards, she remembered that it was indeed the Dark Side that had saved her from the accident and that her parents seemed to know about its existence.

Her deadly sin is Sloth, for running away from the death of her family and for trying to escape her past rather than facing her problems head-on.

The Hybrid
In chapter 168, Rui won the battle against Saechika. She tried to talk Saechika into changing himself and forgetting about everything that happened to him. Saechika admitted that he wished it was possible, but it was not. He was about to accept the fact he had lost and maybe even change sides when his Dark Side, trapped inside his parrot, overpowered him and encouraged him into killing Ogami the Hybrid. His Dark Side then revealed that both Saechika and Rui existed to kill the Hybrid and were granted with the special power "shadow" and the "dark sides" just for that main purpose. She was shocked to hear this and was annoyed that his dark side was still endlessly persuading Saechika into killing Ogami. She attempted to attack it, only to be blocked by Saechika's force of murderers. After hearing the truth, she refused to harm Ogami at all costs.

Fighting "Reggae Four-Eyes"
Rui, along with the other Code:Breakers, restrains the criminals that were let loose by "Reggae Four-Eyes". In the warehouse, when Momiji was about to be slashed in the throat by one of the criminals, Rui protects her with her shadow.

Anime
Rui and the other Code:Breakers, excluding Ogami, appear briefly in episode 1. She later makes a full appearance in episode 6, encountering Sakura and Ogami as they were walking down a street. Ogami approaches her, and she tells him privately that Eden was displeased with Ogami for having brought Sakura to Tabata's mansion. She then reveals that Ogami was given a mission from Eden: protect Sakura Sakurakouji. When Ogami protests, she headbutts him and tells him to stop complaining. With a mutual dislike for Eden, Rui decides to look into Sakura's background as well, as she doesn't understand why it was necessary for a Code:Breaker to bodyguard the Rare Kind. She then warns Ogami about going into his Lost state, as she notices that he was overexerting himself, and leaves.

She reappears with Heike at the Sakurakouji Mansion, catching Sakura after Heike frees her from Hitomi. She looks on as Sakura nullifies Hitomi's electricity attack. Later, a Lost Yuuki converses with her outside. Rui, Ogami and Sakura, Toki, and Yuuki split up to find Hitomi, but Rui ends up meeting Heike on a bridge. However, an explosion destroys the bridge, and Rui uses her shadows to suspend the bridge, only to be attacked by Heike as Yuuki looks on. She is a good friend of Hitomi. And while Hitomi was dying because of Code:End Hitomi complimented her how she was perfectly fine after a fight with Yukihine.

When she came to say goodbye to Sakura, she blushed because Sakura complimented that her smile is very nice. Not only did she blushed but she turned red as a tomato.

Shadow
Rui has the ability to control shadow. It allows her to manipulate her shadow to defend or to attack by slicing others shadows (the damage done to the shadow becomes real). She can attack anything that has a shadow and can protect herself with a black space that is made from shadow. She makes a big scythe from shadow when she attacks. The Anime expanded on her abilities much more, as like Saechika Hachiouji she is able to extend the shadow outwards as tendrils to smash into objects violently or hold up objects, and even make bat-like wings for limited flight/gliding.

Enhanced Strength: Rui possess phenomenal strength for someone of her age, size and build as she has been able to headbutt not only her fellow Code:Breakers without any injury, but to remain undamaged even when she slams her head against objects (such as metal, wood, etc.), something she does when she feels flustered about being complimented.

Techniques
In her normal form, Rui's abilities are limited to two different forms for offense or defense.


 * Shaei: "The Fending Shadow" used to protect by creating an area of shadow from all other things. It was even able to protect her from powerful gusts of wind and firey explosions. And not only does the area of shadow prevent things from getting in, but also prevent things from leaving the area, allowing her to trap enemies in it. She can also shroud her shadows around herself and others to act as a type of protective armor.


 * Zan-ei: "The Slashing Shadow" used to attack by slicing other shadows. (The shadow and the entity mirror each other damage done to the shadow becomes real). However this ability doesn't work on objects that don't have shadows such as the membranes that Hiyori's Balloon ability make. She can even use this aspect of her ability for supplementary reasons, such as extending out her shadows on the ground as ropes to wrap around her enemy's shadow efectively bind them.

Empress Paradox: Rui's ultimate shadow technique before the introduction of the Dark Side, which merges the shadow with her own body. This allows her her to absorb many attacks, as well as further manipulating the shadow into forming dark tendrils to attack. In this form, her shadows are cable of devouring anything they come into contact with, including things without a shadow. This technique's drawback is that it eventually attacks her, since she can't control it properly.

Dark Side: The users of "Shadow" possess a dark side which is much deeper than anyone. It is revealed that Rui's and Saechika's Dark Sides are actually the genes of two persons who were considered the strongest users of Shadow in order to stop the massacre of December 32 by defeating the hybrid, Ogami Rei. Usually, the Dark Side becomes stronger with negative feelings. However, Rui's pure feelings and determination become "Light", which makes shadow deeper, hence her Dark Side actually becomes stronger with positive feelings. When using the Dark Side, Rui's eyes are covered with a bandanna and when in an ever higher form she becomes the "Graceful God Guardian", with a hat that has a rose and a dress that looks as though it came from the fifties, along with a rose-adorned scythe. In this form her scythe is reffered to as "Death Side".
 * Shadow Rose Stream: Used when she is taken over by her dark side, Rui makes four shadow scythes and holds two in each hand, before rushing towards the enemy twirling all four scythes, shredding her enemy to pieces and leaving a spiraling trail of shadows petals behind.

Hiyori
It is revealed in chapter 70 that Hiyori was recruited by Rui into the Re:Code and had raised almost like a mother/daughter relationship and they were quite close. Even after Rui had betrayed the "The One Being Sought", Hiyori still wore the ribbons around her head the way Rui had dressed her when she was still young. However, Hiyori still holds great hatred towards Rui, as she wanted to be the one that would kill her the day that they would meet again. Even so, Rui still shows much concern for Hiyori whenever she gets injured.

Kouji
Kouji saved Rui from the accident that killed her family, and has been training and raising her ever since then as a comrade.

Because of this, Rui and Kouji were very close friends in the Re:Code back when she was still part of it, Rui even admitted that Kouji was the most trustworthy comrade she had and he they shared the same will. Kouji had said that the day the Rui left the Re:Codes, he made a promise to her that he would never lose to anyone. The fact that Kouji didn't rebel against her for betraying them on that day symbolizes just how much he truly trusted Rui.

Yukihina
Rui, Kouji and Yukihina seemed to have a close relationship when she was part of the Re-Codes. However, once Rui joined the "code:Breakers", Yukihina became cold towards her, telling her that he would kill her if necessary, and doesn't hesitate to try and kill her in order to obtain the card key.

Once they rejoin sides, Yukihina still belittles Rui at times, although he also defends her. He also protected her and Sakura from Heike's attack on the school, as she had gone into her lost form.

Saechika
In chapter 88, it is revealed that Rui had a younger brother. She thought her brother died along with her parents during an assassination. However, thanks to Code:Emperor, she found out her brother somehow survived. He actually turned out be one of the Code:Names who is involved in the hunt for Ogami's left arm.

Although he easily overpowered her at first, Rui's refusal to give herself in to hatred actually made her dark side more powerful, and she defeated Saechika.

Before their battle with the Angels, Rui told Saechika to quit being evil and reborn to a new, good self. Saechika, after listening to her advice, sacrificed himself for the power users and got severely injured.

Later on, when Saechika was killed by Kagerou (in Chapter 185), Rui said she could not forgive him for his evil deeds he had committed in the pass and even chose being a Code:Breaker over a sister. Only after Ogami had burnt their family house did she admit that Saechika was her evil yet dear brother nevertheless.

Rei Ogami
One of the reasons Rui became a Code:Breaker from a Re:Code was because "The One Being Sought" had sent her to protect Ogami. Also, because Rui was working with "Him", she knows quite a lot about Ogami's past. During the hunt for Ogami's left arm, she was on his side in order to protect him. Both seem to know each other's character better than the rest and understands how the other feels on some situations.

Since Ogami was using a lot of his power in the anime, Rui was rather concern that he may get into his "Lost" form.

Toki Fujiwara
At the start, Toki's attitude towards Rui was rather cold especially after learning she was an ex-Re:Code and that she and Kouji were comrades (as seen in chapter 62). But later on, his attitude towards her softens as he began to understand her more. Afterwards, they are seen together a lot and even often agree and "freak out" on many common things. Out of all the Code:Breakers, Rui is probably the closest to him.

Rui finds Toki somewhat amusing in the anime, giggling at some of his statements.

Yuuki Tenpouin
Knowing Yuuki could be extremely childish most of the time, Rui tends to show more concern about him. In chapter 152, when Yuuki ran off after stating he took his sound power for granted, she was rather alarmed and somewhat worried about his feelings.

In the anime, they seem much closer; they have a chat outside after Hitomi's appearance at the Sakurakouji Mansion, and when Rui is attacked by Heike, Yuuki watches from afar with alarm.

Etymology

 * The name Rui means "tears" (泪).
 * When she asked her parents why she was given such a sad name, her parents told her that as she grew up, she would face many times where she would cry.
 * Rui's surname Hachiouji means "eight" (八) (hachi) and "prince" (王子) (ouji) in Japanese.
 * Other characters call her "Ouji" or "Prince" for short.

Trivia

 * In Chapter 149, when Rui uses the power of her dark side where a shadow takes the form of a cloth and wraps around her eyes and hair.
 * This is probably a reference to Akimine Kamijyo's earlier work Samurai Deeper Kyo, where a character called Yuan has the same black cloth over his eyes.
 * In a special chapter and the second OVA, it is mentioned that Rui becomes cheerful, happy and more girlish whenever she gets drunk.
 * Rui is a very strong person as she can headbutt Toki Fujiwara and the others without sustaining much damage herself.