Bondrewd The Sovereign of Dawn

Bondrewd "The Novel" (新あたらしきボンドルド, Atarashiki-Bondorudo), also known as "The Lord of Dawn", "The Sovereign of Dawn" (黎明れいめい卿きょう, Reimei-Kyō), is a legendary White Whistle Delver who has made many important discoveries about the secrets of The Abyss. A researcher fascinated by the Abyss, he has often resorted to illegal and morally questionable means in order to get funds and to conduct his research, including selling Artifacts and information from the depths illicitly, developing dangerous drugs, and even experimenting on living humans.[1]

His methods went against all the ethical principles of Delvers, but he was allowed to continue due to his outstanding results. Ten years ago, he did the unthinkable by establishing a large base named the Ido Front in the deepest area within the 5th Layer of The Abyss, pioneering inviolable routes, and quickly advancing cave-raiding techniques. He is assisted by his Umbra Hands, a group of expert delvers which he managed to form under his many years of experience.[1]

Appearance Bondrewd is a tall man sporting mostly black clothing,with a long coat and a suit for his delving gear.[2] He always covers his face with a black helmet, which includes a gap in the middle where violet light shines through. His second body also has a lizard-like tail, which originates from the Artifact Third Works.[3] One of his eyes can be seen through a crack in his helmet as Riko's Party begin their Last Dive.[4]

His White Whistle is sculpted into the shape of two hands clasped together and is activated by rubbing instead of blowing into it, as it would be impractical to use while wearing his mask.[3][5]

Personality Bondrewd is a man who values knowledge above all else,even in the wake of whatever moral issues that may occur from his actions. He is willing to sacrifice anyone and everyone in the pursuit of it, not out of malice but because he feels it is necessary to prepare for the end of the 2,000-year cycle.[6][7] He shows respect to the beings he experimented on by remembering the names and ambitions of each of the individuals he has sacrificed.[8]

He doesn't show hostility to those he faces. Rather, he praises them if they manage to best him, as shown during his first fight against Reg.[9] Despite his methods, he is quite a capable father to his adoptive daughter Prushka.[10]

History Early Life At some point in the past,Bondrewd was responsible for some unclear criminal offense in a foreign country, and a bounty was placed on his head. Regardless, he became a Delver and engaged in any activities that could fund his research into The Abyss: selling drugs that resulted from human experiments, illegally selling Artifacts, and supplying secrets. Some bounty hunters would show up to claim his head, but each would disappear. Eventually, no one would approach him, out of fear.[11]

At some point within the past fifteen years, he obtained a Special Grade Artifact, Zoaholic, and used it to spread his consciousness to multiple bodies, creating the Umbra Hands.[12] Ten years ago, he was able to establish a forward operating base within the ruins of the 5th Layer, Ido Front.[11] When he became a White Whistle Delver, he used his original body as the material to create his Life-reverberating Stone, his white whistle, effectively becoming his own whistle.[13]

Dreadful Experimentation Flashback Arc During one of his experiments researching The Curse of the Abyss,Bondrewd offered adults who wanted to unravel the secrets of The Abyss to come with him to the Ido Front. However, he never told them openly that they were going to be used as test subjects. Among the adults were Nanachi and Mitty. As Bondrewd continued testing, more and more adults were used up in his experiments until only Nanachi and Mitty were left. On his final test, he used both of them, resulting in Mitty being hit with the Curse of the Abyss, while Nanachi received the Blessing.[14]

At an unknown point in time, he had begun to raise the orphaned child of an Umbra Hand who had survived a Transportation Vessel failure. He raised her as his own daughter, naming her Prushka.[15][16]

Bondrewd continued to utilize Nanachi as an assistant in his experiments until Nanachi escaped Ido Front with Mitty, being unable to bear the torturous existence of being in the White Whistle's care.[17]

Ido Front Arc After Mitty is killed,Bondrewd is shown acknowledging her death, for which he congratulates Nanachi.[18]

When Riko, Reg, and Nanachi arrive at Ido Front, he welcomes them and informs them how the 6th Layer can be reached. Because they are lacking a White Whistle that Riko can activate, they are unable to continue, and Bondrewd invites them to rest at the Ido Front.[19] Later on, he meets with Nanachi during the night and asks them to work for him again, to which they agree on the condition that Reg and Riko will not be hurt. Bondrewd apologetically reveals that he has already ordered his Umbra Hands to examine Reg's body.[20]

Riko, Prushka, and Nanachi all arrive to see that Reg is being dismantled. Fearing their safety, the trio of Reg, Riko, and Nanachi escape into the wilderness of the 5th Layer.[21] Bondrewd and several Umbra Hands locate Reg and Nanachi in a sandstone region. Riko fires the Blaze Reap against the sandstone, and Reg flees with Nanachi, revealing that they intended to trap Bondrewd and his team in a nest of lethal Stingerheads.[22]Only Bondrewd survives the attack, using his Sparagmos. Planning for this outcome, the trio battles against the White Whistle, using clever tactics: breaking Sparagmos with a headbutt and makeshift bomb, firing Amaranthine-Deceptor larvae into a gap in his armor, forcefully exposing him to The Curse of the Abyss, and crushing his body with a boulder.[23]

Prushka, escorted by an Umbra Hand, sobs after seeing the fate of her papa. The Umbra Hand retrieves Bondrewd's mask and whistle. Through the power of the Special Grade Artifact, Zoaholic, Bondrewd is not dead and is instead inhabiting the body of the Umbra Hand that had been escorting Prushka. Prushka is overjoyed but quickly knocked out by her father. Before Reg can attack again, Bondrewd incapacitates both Riko and Reg with Shaker and Third Works, respectively. He again invites them to Ido Front before departing.[24]

Bondrewd is shown tending to Prushka, while Umbra Hands prepare her for surgery.[25]

Later, Riko and Nanachi are seen searching Ido Front for the Zoaholic and Reg's missing arm in hopes of defeating Bondrewd.[12][26] Bondrewd finds the two in the "Processing Room," a room in which Bondrewd (and, previously, Nanachi) would manufacture Cartridges, devices that would spare a person from the curse at the cost of offloading it onto someone else.[27] A berserk, overcharged Reg tears into the room and confronts Bondrewd.[28]

In the ensuing battle, Reg incinerates a large portion of Ido Front, and the two combatants re-engage within the Miniature Garden Of Dawn, a remote area underneath Ido Front inhabited by discarded test subjects.[29][30] The two ascend back up to the 5th Layer, while continuing to trade blows.[31] It is at this time that Bondrewd undergoes the Blessing, the same phenomenon that transformed Nanachi. It is revealed that he was able to achieve this by processing his daughter, Prushka, into Cartridge, greatly upsetting Riko and Reg.[32][33]

Relying on their wits, the trio is able to trick Bondrewd into dodging Reg's incinerator and is fired upon by Riko, wielding the Incinerator of Reg's mutilated arm.[34]

After this defeat, he acknowledges that he has been surpassed and pledges to see the trio push forward.[35]

Curse Fleet Arc - Flashback Spoiler warning:The following section contains spoilers. Read with caution. Srajo tells the story of her own encounter with Bondrewd prior to going into their"Last Dive"; Bondrewd senses that someone unusual has come and tells Gueira to call Bido and Rimeyo's squads to the main gate in preparation. Srajo enters Ido Front together with her delving squad, Hail Hex, and salutes but is then stopped by white-cloaked Umbra Hands and talks back aggressively, to which her subordinate recommends she hold back as they're the so-called Shroud with burial clothes. Bondrewd comes and asks what business might they have come for; Srajo replies that she's looking to use the Altar. Bondrewd then tries to stop her by telling her it is required to send a report to the Delver's Guild, which can take up to 7 days local time.[36]

Srajo tells him she has no time to wait. As her underling interjects with the truth that they're in chase of one of their members who ran off into the 6th layer looking for The Priestess, Bondrewd is surprised that she would go on her Last Dive on such ambiguous conditions even after reducing herself to a coward and insists that she must send a request back to the Guild.[37]

Srajo has had enough and tells Bondrewd to tell it straight. Bondrewd reveals that she herself is allowed to go with proper procedures, but as the Hail Hex group, with the exception of Srajo, is made up of so-called Juusou, beings that should not exist that are used as offerings right after being born, it would be a waste to let her valuable relic and her valuable group go to a land they will not return from. Srajo commands their team to "take their Release Stance" and prepare for combat.[38]

Abilities Cartridges In order to sustain his energy by combating The Curse of the Abyss,Bondrewd creates specialized packages made from humans who are the easiest to transport and won't be missed. For portability, only the brain and enough "guts" to last a few days are used. The Curse is deflected away from Bondrewd and onto the person in the cartridge instead. A cocktail of drugs is also used to induce a state of ecstasy and fear in the cartridge to boost the Curse-combating efficiency. Bondrewd is able to avoid the loss of humanity from ascending in the 6th Layer.[39] As Bondrewd demonstrated, individuals in cartridges are still able to bestow the Blessing.[8]

Soul-Slave Machine, Auction Name: Zoaholic Spoiler warning:The following section contains spoilers. Read with caution. A horrifying Special Grade Artifact capable of planting the mind of the user into another,taking control of them. The mind that has been planted can also be shared among those others. Simply being touched with it is enough to have a mind planted into oneself, and it is nigh impossible to escape the enchantment. The user and the subject don't necessarily have to be humans. When it was first discovered, small animals were observed manipulating insects as a means of hunting. Humans are incapable of enduring the division of their consciousness by it. Shortly after having used the relic, abnormalities begin to develop, and their consciousness will eventually disperse, making them invalid.[40]

Bondrewd divided his mind between each of his Umbra Hands prior to the events of the story. When his body is destroyed by Reg, his consciousness has been transferred into one of their bodies, who then takes on his helmet as a symbol.[12] Bondrewd's consciousness seems to have been altered to something that is no longer human as a result of the Zoaholic.[41]

Using the Zoaholic, Bondrewd is able to create a unique system of long-distance communication called the Roar Sign (狼煙ロアサイン, Beacon?). This system allows Umbra Hands to be scattered while still being able to send and receive their consciousness, creating a line of communication to share information.[42]

Shared Perception Bondrewd has an unknown Artifact that allows him to view events through others'eyes, including Nanachi's.[3]

Ascend to the Morning Star, Auction Name: Gangway This Artifact is produced by processing another Artifact,Stairway of Light. It emits a band of light that reflects and strikes the intended target. It can fire at multiple targets, including those that aren't in its direct line of fire.[40]

This Relic has been kept secret by Bondrewd since buying it in an unregulated auction. Its grade is unknown. It had, at one time, been assigned the name "Stairway of Light" as its auction name. Even after being processed, people still refer to it with that name. This artifact is responsible for emitting the ray of light that comes out of Bondrewd's mask. It seems the ray of light doesn't damage anything the user doesn't focus on, so it won't cause any destruction to objects the light reflects off of on its way to its target.[40]

Cursed Needle, Auction Name: Shaker An Unknown Grade Artifact that shoots needles cut from another Artifact,Cursed Steel. Cursed Steel is an Artifact capable of inducing the Curse of the Abyss in those who touch it. Currently, it is concealed by Bondrewd, who wears it as a gauntlet on his forearm. It is a terrifying Artifact capable of inducing the Curse, but there are plenty of creatures of the deep that are resistant to the Curse of the Abyss. Due to this, it is mainly used against human opponents. Of course, it won't do anything against Reg, who is curse-proof.[40]

Touch the Moon, Auction Name: Far Caress It is incredibly tough and elastic,as well as capable of manipulating countless tendrils. Strictly speaking, it is not exactly an Artifact but a primeval creature enclosed within a cylinder. It is only classified as an Artifact simply because it can't be collected outside of The Abyss.[40]

It's categorized as a Second-Grade Artifact because of its unwieldiness, but Bondrewd used the countless manifestations of himself to grasp the essence of this Artifact and dramatically increase its effectiveness.[40]

Canopy Unto Dawn, Auction Name: Unknown A processed Artifact of Unknown Grade.It is a custom-made full body armor specialized for Umbra Hand cave raiding and combat. A complex assembly made with Artifacts and bio-fibers, hiding a multitude of built-in weapons. However, the user remains unprotected against the strains of ascension and must take proper measures separately. The armor also includes devices to aid in the sharing of Bondrewd's consciousness.[40]

Essence-returning Light, Auction Name: Sparagmos Spoiler warning:The following section contains spoilers. Read with caution. A processed Artifact of Unknown Grade.It is a weapon that generates a mysterious blade of light. Things that it hits will disintegrate, without any exceptions. It can only work for a short duration of time and makes a lot of heat.

It functions similarly to Reg's Incinerator, in that it possesses an unknown power capable of rewriting the rules of The Abyss.[40]

It seems to never have appeared at auction, which means that its auction name is something that Bondrewd made up himself, much like Riko would.[40]

Srajo acknowledges that the source Artifact of Sparagmos did not exist in the 5th Layer and that Bondrewd only began using the relic after the appearance of "Girl-type" near Ido Front.[43]