Gyokuen Ren

Gyokuen Ren (練 玉艶, Ren Gyokuen) is the widow of the two previous Emperors of the Kou Empire and succeeded them as Empress Regnant. She is a thought projection of Arba, who has been sealed by Solomon Jehoahaz Abraham in another world with Ill Ilah and The Organization for one thousand years. She is the leader and progenitor of the organization, Al-Thamen, as well as one of Solomon's Three Wise Magi from Alma Torran: the one to betray him.

Appearance
Gyokuen is a slim, youthful woman of average height. She has pale blue eyes, which turn black and glow red when she reveals her corrupted side. She has short, dark blue hair, with two long braids tied in loops. She has thin eyebrows, a mole on her chin, and usually wears red lipstick. She also wears a small hat decorated with a flower-shaped jewel, and floor-length pink and white robes. She is noted for being a great beauty.

When she was King Solomon's Magi, she had long messy brown hair that is tied in pigtails, until her right one was cut off. She wore a white robe with various items of jewelery. Her Divine Stave was topped with a winged spherical jewel. She later held a staff with a crescent moon-shaped head that previously belonged to Sheba.

Personality
In Hakuryuu's memories, Gyokuen appeared as a gentle and loving mother, protective of and showing care towards Hakuryuu and Hakuei after they survived the fire that killed their father along with Hakuyuu and Hakuren. However, she started to show her true self: twisted, decietful, cunning, sinister and cold, smiling while crying as she is appointed the Third Emperor, and flirting with her stepson Kouen. According to Hakuryuu, Gyokuen is a woman who cares nothing for her children, and, she is willing to do anything to gain and maintain power - going so far as to kill her own children and husband. When she was revealed to be Arba, it became clear that everything she has done and gained in the past decades in this world was for the resurrection of Ill Ilah and the destruction of the world.

She seems to take pleasure in cutting down her enemies as she laughed gleefully at Kokuhyou Shuu and  Seiryuu Ri who were fighting alongside Hakuryuu.

History
Gyokuen is a thought projection of one of Solomon's Three Wise Magi: Arba, whom has been sealed in another world for one thousand years. At some point she became married to the first Emperor of Kou as he brought peace to three nations and expanded the Kou Empire.

When Sinbad was born, Gyokuen, Scheherazade, Matal Mogamett and Yunan sensed the strong resonation of Rukh.

With the first emperor of Kou, Hakutoku Ren, Gyokuen had three sons and a daughter: Hakuyuu, Hakuren, Hakuei and Hakuryuu. Her first two sons and husband died in a fire fighting against Al-Thamen, Gykouen's subordinates. After her husband's death, she married his brother, the Second Emperor, Koutoku Ren.

Pirates Arc
Gyokuen is first seen in Hakuryuu's memories, while he is crying after a nightmare, she comforts him by saying he doesnt need to worry because his father is an incredible person who is loved by the people for unifying three countries. When her husband and two of her sons died in the fire started by Al-Thamen, Koutoku Ren is appointed as the Second Emperor of the Kou Empire and with a sad face, Gyokuen informs Hakuei and Hakuryuu that she will marry Koutoku and they will be retain their status as Imperial Prince and Princess.

Once again in Hakuryuu's memory, he asks Gyokuen if she really killed his father and brothers, she smiles and retorts that even if it is true he is powerless to do anything.

World Exploration Arc
Gyokuen is seen beside her deceased second husband, holding his hand when the Imperial Princes and Princesses enter the chamber. She greets and tells them to come closer. Kouen asks if the Emperor has died of an illness, she says yes and tells them to come say farewell to their King. She hugs Kouen and says that she only has him left, asking if he will support her, to the disgust of Kouha, who calls her a hag. She then makes the announcement that due to Kouen's obligation to the army, she will take over as Empress of the Kou Empire. As Kouen's suporters are about to start an insurrection, Hakuryuu steps in and chimes support for his mother in the form of a chant that facilitates her ascent to the throne.

After the funeral, Judar confronts Hakuryuu about whether he is still being controlled by Gyokuen. Judar says that Hakuryuu has become strong, and that he wishes to show this power to her, as she nears them with a crowd of Al-Thamen's priests behind her. When she arrives, Gyokuen says to Hakuryuu that Judar has been praising him so much and, for that reason, she has been wanting to speak with him for a while now. She moves closer to Hakuryuu, wanting to touch his face, but Hakuryuu slaps her hand away and her personality changes to her true self. She retorts that Hakuryuu has learned to scowl and he has the same eyes as Hakuyuu and Hakuren, maybe like them, she should kill Hakuei too. Enraged, Hakuryuu activates his Djinn Equip without an incantation and fiercly attacks the defenseless Gyokuen, only to get stopped in his tracks by her extremely powerful borg and then blasted away and out of his Djinn equip just as quickly as he had entered and attacked her. Mocking him after defeating him without a weapon, Gyokuen pats his head and says that all he has to do is remain her cute, little Hakuryuu, forever.

Magnostadt Arc
In Magnostadt, the furnace of Black Rukh doesn't need Matal Mogamett as an intermediary anymore. It seemingly becomes independent, and destructively absorbs the magoi of the people around it. Mogamett questioning why it's still absorbing magoi, notices someone at the other end of the tunnel and asks who's there. The tunnel leads back to the Kou Empire, with Gyokuen sitting on the throne. While black miasma comes out of the tunnel, she smiles, and, in tears, says: "We finally meet... "Father"!".

The furnace, now a ball of concentrated Black Ruhk, starts floating up, from the 5th Level Authorization District. The two members of Al-Thamen watching in the sky near Magnostadt, asks why the 200,000 humans underground are still alive, and who supplied Magoi in order for the furnace to become the Medium for their IlI llah's descent. Gyokuen, answers that the great quantity of Magoi that Magnostadt has been hiding and accumulating, became the substitute for the Magoi of the people underground. She explains that the furnace was active for almost 10 years, and being active in Magnostadt it gathered Black Rukh, sucked Magoi and continued to grow. The two priests ask if that was the result of Empress Gyokuen's guidance, but Gyokuen denies, saying that this is something that the people of this world did on their own.

Then, she says that it has been Ithnan's parting gift, although he didn't build the furnace directly, and calls Ithnan a boy. Gyokuen explains that Ithnan betrayed King Solomon, even if he deeply respected and loved him. In the same way, she says, the humans by themselves desire to oppose to the “great flow” of this world. Ithnan disagreed with Gyokuen's style of infiltrating the core of a country and interfering directly, but in the other hand, thanks to him, the humans opened the "Black Spot" by themselves 10 years later. Then, spilling tears of joy, Gyokuen exclaims, followed by the priests: "Aaah, Father!!, we finally meet!!!", and says, "Your hands will be guided by the “medium” and in the instant they will touch the surface… this world will change!! A pure scenery where only a black sun shines… Just like in Alma Torran!!!"

A priest addresses to Gyokuen, saying that they are unable to locate the Magi, and adds that it seems all of the Metal Vessel users of Kou have disappeared. Gyokuen requires if all of them, and murmurs "Hakuryuu...". She answers to let them be, it's more important that this moment they have been waiting for is burned in their memories.

Gyokuen is watching the Dungeon Capturer's efforts, and after she sees Alibaba Saluja being unable to cut the "medium" with Amon's Sword, she says that it's useless; the medium is the crystallization of the incredible quantity of magoi it gained from the lives of several tens of thousand of people, and of the Black Rukh, and it’s even impossible to graze it. She adds that, furthermore, it continuously gives birth to countless Black Djinn, so just six people using Solomon’s Metal Vessels it's useless against it.

The Dungeon Capturers and Aladdin are wondering what is the new being born from the "Medium" when Gyokuen explains that the "Medium" is already adapting itself to their "Father" little by little and it's still nothing more than a naked infant who struggles against Solomon's principles. The priests who are in Magnostadt say that she's exactly right.

Gyokuen keeps watching the efforts of the Dungeon Capturers when the priests who are in the battlefield ask her if she's witnessing the situation through their black Rukh. She nods and asks for Aladdin. A priest confirms that Aladdin is the Magi who appeared from the "Sacred Place" and obtained "Solomon's Wisdom". She says that Solomon was too arrogant, as not only the "proxy" he created is a Magi, but he also let him sleep in the "Sacred Palace", and now he has sent him in this world in order to crush their dearest wish. Gyokuen heads towards Aladdin and greets him, saying that he only knows her from the Rukh's memories he saw through "Solomon's Wisdom" but that she knows him pretty well as she also served under that king.

She makes a sign with her hand a priest gives her her own Wand with reverence. She comments that this brings back memories, and calls Solomon "her king". Some memories from Alma Torran are showed and she is revealed to be one of his Three Wise Magi. Gyokuen says that this world is already a failure and says to Aladdin: "Let's put and end to this as fellow Magi from Alma Torran!".

After this sentence, Gyokuen adds that Al-Thamen will crush King Solomon's arrogant will, and that this is the reason why they changed into beings formed only by thoughts and came into this world; the Rukh will disappear, the world will die out and be dyed in black since they will sink the world into darkness. Just after her speech, the Medium moves, much for Aladdin's horror. A lightning clashes against the doll's back and Gyokuen begins to laugh, saying that he finally appeared, the "miracle" born into this world and the existence that Al-Thamen hates the most after the Great King. Full Baal Djinn Equipped, Sinbad appears smiling, and Gyokuen calls him "The First Class Singularity". Behind Sinbad, the Seven Seas Alliance appears and Gyokuen, still smiling, says that how dare Sinbad gather all those Djinn, their masters and their Household in a single place.

Morgiana attacks the doll with Amol Selseila, and Gyokuen comments that it's useless because it is impossible to destroy the Medium's Defensive Wall after it has absorbed so much Magoi from the Rukh and enlarged to this extent. Then, but some slots begin to appear in the Medium's Defensive Wall due to the Seven Seas Alliance's and their Household attacks, and for first time Gyokuen is surprised. She has a bit worried expression when all the Metal Vessel Users gathered summon their Extreme Magic at once, making an octagram shape with the Medium at the center.

The Dungeon Capturers manage to make the Medium fall to pieces, but then it regenerates itself. She says that, obviously, it is not that simple and laughs loud, saying that they needed 72 people in order to defeat it in Alma Torran and they are only 13; she chuckles and mocks them.

After the Medium vanishes, Gyokuen says that Matal Mogamett is a really useless man, and ponders aloud that a weak "core" is useless, and the next time they need to complete a Black Spot of the best quality and raise it by themselves. A priest near her agrees, but says her to rejoice since Reim's Magi is dead and her Rukh went to "that" place. Gyokuen smiles again and says that that's a good news.

Gyokuen happily says that they have to celebrate tonight, because Scheherazade is dead and the foundations of Reim are shaking. She adds that even though this time the Medium was not useful, the "world's aperture" won't close for a few years once it's opened, and that if they are able to complete another "Black Spot" they will be able to invite their "Father" into this world immediately.

Abilities
As a Magi, Gyokuen has near limitless Rukh/Magoi.

Master Swordsman
 * Claiming to be the strongest swordsman in Alma Torran, Gyokuen is very skilled in swordmanship and she was also the one who trained Solomon sword-fighting when they lived in Alma Torran. She was able to easily fight and subdue Hakuryuu in a one-on-one sword fight and hold her own against Hakuryuu and the two generals Kokuhyou Shuu and Seiryuu Ri.

Magic
She is proficient in using Black Rukh.

Borg
 * This is said to be the proof of a Magician. It is a defensive ability. It blocks out attacks with evil intentions. It also blocks out all physical attacks and magical attacks to some degree. Its strength, however, depends on the person. Gyokuen's Borg uses Black Rukh. Without a wand, it is strong enough to push back a Full Djinn Equipped Hakuryuu Ren.

Borg Al-Samm (8-headed Defensive Wall)
 * This is a magic created from Borg. It enables Gyokuen to manipulate and expand it offensively, creating dragon heads from her Borg in Black Rukh. She adapted this technique from Sheba.

Medoun Al-Samm (Funeral Destruction)

Wand
Gyokuen has a tall wand with a curved, jeweled head. This is actually Sheba's Divine Staff that Gyokuen stole after killing her.

Solomon Jehoahaz Abraham
Back in Alma Torran, she was one of his Three Wise Magi, Arba. She held a deep and genuine loyalty towards him, and respected him. She referred to him as "young master" and often cracked jokes with him. Though, because of her strong belief to Ill Ilah is the true God of the world, she saw his sacrifice of replacing Ill Ilah as an act of disgrace. Her loyalty for him turned into hatred and thought of him as an arrogant king, which made her become a cold and twisted person. This caused her to betray him by forming Al-Thamen to crush "Solomon's Will". Even after 1000 years of being sealed by Solomon in an alternate universe and came back as an existence formed only by thoughts, she still held her hatred for him and wanted to destroy the new world that he created.

Sheba
She was good friends with Sheba as Arba and played something a kin to a motherly figure and consultant to the girl. When Sheba talked to her about her growing feelings to Solomon, Gyokuen encouraged her to tell Solomon how she felt and said that she wanted her to be Solomon's wife. Sheba and her swore that they would be two pillars of darkness and light to keep Solomon up in his times of need. However, once Gyokuen disagreed with how Solomon created the world, she brutally killed someone she once considered a friend and smiled gleefully for Sheba to die.

During Gyokuen's fight with Hakuryuu and Judar, when she used her Borg to attack them, she said it was a spell she had picked up from a girl she had once cared for.

Trivia

 * Her name means Shining Jewel or Jewel of Many Colors.
 * "Gyokuen" is the Japanese pronunciation; in Chinese, her name would be Yùyàn.
 * Her youthful appearance is artificial.
 * Shinobu Ohtaka claims that the veiled men of the Organization are the ones who most likely dress her and style her hair.