Mathilde Saint-Omer

Mathilde Saint-Omer was the woman who contracted with Alastor, the Flame of Heaven, before Shana.

She was the previous bearer of the title Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Hunter.

During the war against The Bell of Sorrow in early 16th-century Europe, she was praised in both name and fact as the strongest Flame Haze of her age.

She later died in the final decisive battle and became remembered as one of the Heroes of the Great War.

She is voiced by Akemi Okamura.

She is also the protagonist of the spin-off manga Shakugan no Shana X Eternal Song: The Distant Song, illustrated by Shiitani Kiya.

Mathilde appears as a young woman around twenty years old.

When she is not in her flame-haired, burning-eyed form, her natural hair and eye colors are unknown.

Her Divine Instrument, Cocytus, takes the form of a large ring set with a black jewel and a gold band, worn on the middle finger of her left hand.

Shana’s pendant-shaped Cocytus was designed with this version as a reference.

Her Night Cape is shaped like a mantle.

She also appears to be left-handed, as she carries a shield on her right arm.

Mathilde is a dignified female warrior who finds joy in battle, treating combat as proof that she is vividly alive.

She always fights at full strength and despises anything half-hearted.

If death is the best possible choice in battle, she does not hesitate to accept it.

That uncompromising spirit defines nearly everything about her.

She was considered an unusual person even among Flame Hazes because she found genuine bliss in being one.

For her, the ideal way of life and the life of a Flame Haze were perfectly aligned.

Though her behavior was not considered ladylike by the standards of her era, she possessed a natural charisma that drew people in.

Her boldness and intensity made her both striking and unforgettable.

Her quoted farewell is: "Thank you for everything so far... may you all have matchless good fortune."

The line reflects both her warmth and her heroic finality.

Mathilde is an exceptional swordswoman.

At the same time, she possesses the skill to wield Alastor’s immense power freely and with precision.

Her trademark spell is the unique Power of Existence art Knights.

With it, she can manifest hundreds of soldiers made of flame.

Each of these flaming warriors is said to possess power on the level of an ordinary Flame Haze.

They act according to Mathilde’s command, effectively forming an army under her direct control.

The technique appears highly flexible in both shape and use.

She can produce formations such as ranks of spears, partial constructs such as only arms holding bows, or even cause the entire army to explode.

She can also make the flames assume a form identical to her own.

This makes the technique useful not only for overwhelming force, but also for tactical deception and varied battlefield control.

As part of the same ability, she materializes weapons and equipment from flame.

These include her greatsword, shield, spear, and even a fierce warhorse used as a mount.

The concept behind Knights comes from Mathilde’s own image of ideal strength as a hunter.

To her, true power meant a fully armed knightly host charging into enemy ranks with herself at the lead.

Her Divine Instrument is Cocytus, a large ring with a black gem and golden setting.

It is worn on the left middle finger.

Her Night Cape takes the form of a cloak-like mantle.

In battle, she also manifests multiple weapons through her flames, including a greatsword, shield, and spear.

Mathilde belongs to the earlier era of the setting and is closely tied to the historical conflict against The Bell of Sorrow.

Her final battle is depicted in Shakugan no Shana X.

In the first television anime adaptation, she appears in Wilhelmina Carmel’s flashback.

She also appears again in Wilhelmina Carmel’s recollections in the third anime season.

She is additionally mentioned, through dialogue only, in the parody story Shana of Cinderella included in volume 0.

Her legacy strongly shapes the image of the title and power later inherited by Shana.