| “ | An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth, and the Punishment of Death for Evil. | ” |
—Rui's Addition to the Code of Hammurabi | ||
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. She used to be called the "Graceful God Guardian" of the Re-Code. She seems to know Shibuya's true identity and that is why he fears her. She is very strong, headbutting Toki and the others without passing out herself.
Appearance
Rui wears an outfit that resembles that of a biker's, namely a white T-shirt with a black jacket that is seemingly made of leather and blue jeans. She has short, light-blue hair that she tucks behind her right ear and fair skin.
When she was a member of the Re:Codes, she wore a black outfit that consisted of 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 Ogami's age and is most probably about there. 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.
Rui's Lost Form.
In her lost form, Rui turns into a mermaid.
Personality
She 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 Heike. She has a very warm and kind personality (Chapter 69) and is also a very caring person.
Background
Rui used to live in Shibuya Mansion with her parents and her younger brother, Saechika. 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 Ogami) where she assumed Saechika was killed to; Rui was saved by her Dark Side. Kouji, one of the Re-Codes, saved her from the accident and raised her up.
Rui with Kouji and Yukihina
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 learnt she worked with his sister's supposed killer.
When she was part of the Re:Code, she was known as the "shadow" user, referred to as the "Iron Wall Defense" and "Graceful God Guardian" by past Re:Codes.
She also recruited Hiyori, searching her out upon discovering that there was a rogue Power User, and managed to calm Hiyori down with a hug when Hiyori attacked her.
History
She first appeared in Chapter 60, catching a handbag snatcher who had stolen Sakura's bag with a rod, before knocking him out with a headbutt. She did the same to Toki 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 Ogami, Yuuki 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 where she used to be in. 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 cry for those who were suffering hardship. 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 secretly may even have a huge crush on her as he blushed when Rui kissed him on the cheek.)
The main reason stated of why she sings is she regrets not singing to her younger brother, Saechika. Back when she was younger, Saechika, wanted her to sing a song 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, she assumed Saechika had too. She 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 at the beginning but soon revived. When Rui was conscious again, she wanted Kouji to train her but he rejected that request, saying girls should not be in 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 determine she was and finally agreed. Eventually, he raised her up 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. 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.
The Hybrid
In chapter 168, Rui won the battle against Saechika. She tried to talk Saechika into changing himself and forgetting abouteverything 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.
The Angels
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.
Abilities/Powers
Shadow
She controls shadow. Her ability 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.
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
Shaei: "The Fending Shadow" used to protect by creating a area of shadow from all other things.
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.)
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.
Relationships
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 betrayed the Re-Codes, 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.
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.
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.
Trivia
- "Rui", means "tears". 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.
- "Ouji", which is taken from Rui's last name "Hachiouji", means "Prince" in Japanese. The others call her "Ouji" or "Prince" for short.
- In chapter 149 when Rui uses the power of her dark side, a shadow takes the form of a cloth and wraps around her eyes and hair. This is probably a reference to Kamijyo Akimine's earlier work Samurai Deeper Kyo, where a character called Yuan has the same black cloth over his eyes.
- She becomes cheerful when she is drunk, mentioned in a special chapter.