Utsurojuza

Utsurojuza (虚銃座 Utsurojūza), real name Shula Zoozolozo Cramplamp Lampton (シュラ・ゾーゾルッゾ・クランプランプ・ランプトン Shura Zōzoruzzo Kuranpuranpu Ranputon), is the former third-ranking Imperial Court Sorcerer of the Byandy Empire. Having survived the empire's collapse one hundred years ago, he now serves as ally to the alchemist Pani.

Appearance
Utsurojuza at a glance appears to be a slender, "androgynous, beautiful boy with facial tattoos" of blue hue. Though he is human, he has deviated from typical humans and is over one hundred years old.

His intricate attire consists of a white large-collared short cloak to which the lower half of a white robe appears to be attached by a belt, buckles, cords, and rings. A dark b lue garment that may be a cuirass protects his torso, while he wears leg armor over blue trousers. As he is not a knight, he adorns himself in ornaments.

Each earlobe is pierced with a spiked ring; each ring has a long spike spanning its diameter. The spiked ring design is featured on the back of his short cloak. His ankles are also adorned with individual spike rings, though these rings lack a diameter-spanning spike.

Personality
To be added.

Pre-Collapse
As the third-highest-ranked Imperial Court Sorcerer to Byandy Empire, Utsurojuza wields immense power and is said to be rivals with Easlies Swordfrail, the second-highest-ranked sorcerer. Rumor has it that Utsurojuza and Easlies had a fight to the death that caused seven uninhabited islands offshore to disappear, though this has yet to be verified.

When Easlies acquires a necromancy apprentice after the apprentice's parents sell him to the empire, Utsurojuza befriends that apprentice despite his rumored rivalry with the boy's master. At some point after the apprentice acquires the title Corpse God, the apprentice is stabbed by his father with a poisoned blade and is furthermore inflicted with a curse designed to destroy his body so that it cannot be revived.

Corpse God's body is discovered dissolving in a cemetery, and it is said that Easlies pleads with Utsurojuza for his assistance in ensuring Corpse God's survival. Utsurojuza successfully curbs the poison's spread and stops the curse before it can devour Corpse God's brain, which Easlies has luckily made Corpse God's 'soul core' prior to this incident. With Corpse God's brain preserved, Utsurojuza, the Byandy empire's boy-emperor, and Easlies gather around Corpse God's crumpled clothes and mask; using necromancy, Easlies revives Corpse God as an Undead skeleton.

Easlies informs Corpse God of the attack and the attempt made to destroy his soul, telling him to bring a bodyguard next time he sees his family, and that she only saved him on a 'whim'. The boy-emperor teasingly recalls how relieved Easlies was at having already made Corpse God's brain a soul core—she denies this—and how Easlies had pleaded with Utsurojuza for his assistance. Beside him, Utsurojuza grins. Easlies nevertheless insists His Highness ought to have his head checked. His Highness laughs where Utsurojuza complains Easlies is "the worst", what with calling the emperor 'crazy' and not sparing a comforting word for Corpse God. He thus seeks Corpse God's agreement, but the boy-emperor suggests they let the matter rest as he kneels to poke Corpse God's skull. Corpse God attempts but fails to speak, not yet able to produce a voice, so Easlies interprets that Corpse God was worried the boy-emperor would reject him now that he is an Undead, and he is surprised that His Highness is treating him like usual.

The boy-emperor offers words of advice and comfort to Corpse God, including the assurance that he and the empire will always be on Corpse God's side.

The Empire's eventual collapse is swift and ubiquitous across its realm. At the same time the empire's annexed principalities rebel, destruction ravages its capital: a hole opens to swallow the entire imperial army save for one unit, and its consequent earthquakes wreak collateral damage to buildings and infrastructure. Utsurojuza's whereabouts during the capital's downfall remain undisclosed; however, Easlies' remark "It's as Utsurojuza said" at the time of the palace's crumbling suggests he foresaw the collapse happening.

Post-Collapse
Utsurojuza survives the collapse and lives out the next century by modifying his human body with magic. In the present day, he has allied himself with the alchemist Pani; when exactly this alliance was formed—whether before or after the collapse, and when specifically—is unknown.

If Utsurojuza's account is to be taken at face value value, Pani sends him—or, he decides to travel—to the borderlands between Byandy Peninsula and the Kingdom of Nyanild to locate Recuria Lofilardo, a powerful Head Priestess of the Geldwood Church. His search of the borderlands eventually finds Recuria in an abandoned village—defending the lives of her fallen allies against Lord Domdaal and his hundred-strong soldiers of the Geldwood faith.

At first, Utsurojuza intends to watch from afar and see who wins—though he considers 'storing' Recuria when it looks like she might die. When Domdaal declares he will tell everyone the Corpse God killed Recuria while possessing Shagrua Lugrid, however, Utsurojuza takes offense; he shall not stand for his friend being accused of crimes he did not commit. Thus, he intervenes by conjuring a large stream of water to wash Domdaal's soldiers out of the village and down the mountain to the valley below. The spell is so strong that the water wrenches the village's buildings off their foundations and carries them away in turn.

Those left in the village are Lord Domdaal, Recuria, and Recuria's comrades whom she has protected with a defensive force field. Laughing, Utsurojuza—via a seemingly disembodied voice—demands Domdaal cease disparaging the Corpse God, only to mock Domdaal when Domdaal demands to know who is speaking. In a friendlier tone, Utsurojuza explains to Recuria he could not help but involve himself in the fight when Domdaal began slandering his friend; furthermore, he has business with Recuria and has been searching for her.

Upon praising Recuria's combat efforts, Utsurojuza appears behind Domdaal to claim Domdaal was 'lucky' it was not Easlies who overheard him; where Utsurojuza likes to "get things over with quickly," Easlies would have likely condemned Domdaal to a "thousand-year-long death." So saying, Utsurojuza approaches Recuria and dismissively calls out for Domdaal to die.

The same second Utsurojuza raises one hand, a black pit manifests mid-air next to Domdaal; Domdaal's organs shoot out of his body, killing him in an instant. His corpse, smeared with its own viscera, falls to the ground. Aware that Recuria is on guard, Utsurojuza tells her Pani instructed him not to "mess up" any third parties, and so he stored the streaming water in the valley—though he supposes Domdaal's surviving soldiers may have been eaten by "Radiall's pet" regardless.

Recuria cautiously thanks him for saving her life and introduces herself. Reminding her he already knows, Utsurojuza introduces himself as Shula Zoozolozo Cramplamp Lampton, Pani's ally and Recuria's "special envoy." Then, with a mischievous grin, he amends that he probably better known as the Byandy Empire's former third-ranking-sorcerer Utsurojuza.

Abilities
To be added.

Trivia

 * Where the English edition simply uses 'Utsurojuza', the French edition has literally translated Utsurojuza as "Barbette vide." Utsuro (虚) as an adjective can mean 'hollow', while jūza (銃座) means 'gun mount', a device that holds and supports a gun or turret. Thus, 'Utsurojuza' may mean something to the effect of "hollow gun mount" or "hollow turret."
 * Chapter 56's English translation spells Utsurojuza's title as 'Utsorojuza'. Since 'Utsurojuza' has been the spelling used until now (save for a one-time usage of 'Utsuro Juuza'), it remains to be seen if 'Utsorojuza' was a typo or an updated romanization.
 * Although Chapter 56 marks Utsurojuza's illustrated debut in the manga, his first public illustration was via his character sheet that Shinta FUjimoto uploaded to Twitter..