Arno

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Arno (阿诺)
Alias(es)	Knight of Courage; Great Knight of Courage; Abomination Knight; Black Knight
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	High Tower; Virtue Knights Association; later Abyss Knights Order
Occupation/Role	Knight; High Tower war commander
Status	Active
First Appearance	81

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Heart Intent Flow trainee	86	Learns the Mindflow Knight’s secret teachings from Ancesta, swears the knightly oath, and chooses Courage as his Core Creed.
Magic-book contractor	111	Auli shares her points and contracts with him, granting him magic power; his displayed attributes include Spirit 1.1, Perception 1.2, and Magic Power 3.3.
Knight of Courage / peak intermediate wizard apprentice	133	Generates inherent magic power through the Minimalist Meditation Method, merges it with his Courage Creed, and awakens Courage Heart Power while returning to defend the relief house.
Formal Knight	293	Advances amid the Virtue Holy Light brought forth during Ancesta’s promotion; his Courage Rune solidifies and his heart turns golden.
Great Knight of Courage	352	Courage Heart Power transforms into Courage Holy Light, enabling him to break through formal Knight status and protect allies with Holy Light.
Abomination / Anti-Knight	359 362	After his Courage Rune shatters, he devours Black Mud and manifests a dark-red Heart Power driven by sin, desire, and resolve.
Abomination Knight	419	His Abomination Heart Power clashes instinctively with Ancesta’s Holy Light, leading to their duel and the division of the knight orders.
Pseudo-rank Legendary	534	Reaches pseudo-rank Legendary status during the Underground World conflict with the Lich King Vite.
Legendary wizard	542	Is counted among six Legendary wizards gathered with the High Tower’s senior figures.

Background / History

Arno was among the orphaned youths rescued from the Dark Clergy. Even before gaining supernatural power, he acted as a protector: he defended Auli, fought other boys for food, and shared what he earned with the other children. His courage and willingness to bear others’ burdens drew Ancesta’s attention. 81 85 86

Ancesta trained him first to endure and evade attacks rather than to strike back. After a month, Arno’s resilience and evasive ability had improved enough that the boys he practiced against could barely hurt him. He later became known in the fortress as the “King of Evasion,” using paid beatings to secure hot meals for the relief house children. 86 111

Arno’s ideal of heroism came from his father, a hunter who died after trying to protect others from the Dark Clergy. Arno resolved to inherit his father’s qualities while obtaining the strength his father lacked: the ability to protect the weak and save the good. 86 133

Personality

Arno is direct, optimistic, and often simple-minded, but his convictions are unusually firm. He repeatedly defines himself as someone with “true heroic qualities” and measures his choices by whether they protect others. 86 131 166

His courage is paired with compassion. He shares food, forgives Xavier for insulting his father, volunteers through the Virtue Knights Association, and argues that supernaturals should help mortals rather than merely accept their support. 86 138 166 292

After Auli is critically wounded and Ancesta falls, Arno’s protective resolve becomes distorted into Abomination. He continues to see himself as a Knight, but adopts a creed that embraces darkness and sin as tools to destroy his enemies. 358 360 372

Appearance

Arno is initially described as a black-haired youth. Following his transformation into an Abomination Knight, he commonly conceals his oppressive aura beneath full plate armor. 87 378

• Dark-red or crimson eyes in his Abomination state. 361 378
• Dark-red energy can form heavy armor, bat-like wings, claws, and a knight’s longsword. 360 419
• Previously manifested golden Courage Holy Light and a winged lion form as the Great Knight of Courage. 352 353
• Wears gleaming silver full plate armor while guarding the High Tower. 378

Abilities & Skills

Courage Heart Power

Arno’s original knight power was born by merging his Courage Creed with inherent magic power and returning that power to his heart. 133 189

• Enhances his body, senses, and combat reactions. 111 133
• Creates a fiery yellow shield wall capable of blocking Abyssal Shadow arrows. 133
• Can become a fiery halo that sweeps through multiple opponents. 133
• Draws strength from his own courage and from courage displayed by allies or enemies. 292

Courage Holy Light

As a Great Knight, Arno’s Heart Power evolved into orange-yellow Courage Holy Light. 352

• Forms wings for aerial movement and a radiant longsword for combat. 352
• Heals and shelters allies, including Ancesta and injured knight attendants. 352
• Manifests as a winged lion in battle. 353
• Strongly suppresses shadow-based enemies and melts approaching shadow humanoids. 352

Abomination Heart Power

After losing his Courage Rune, Arno devoured Black Mud and developed an opposing dark-red power rooted in sin and negative emotion. 359 360

• Materializes dark-red armor, wings, claws, and a regenerating knight’s longsword. 360 419
• Devours Black Mud figures and turns them into power of sin. 359 360
• Reshapes his body after taking damage. 360
• His aura can harm ordinary people and requires suppression through armor or magical items. 370
• His crude swordsmanship relies chiefly on overwhelming momentum and beast-like intuition rather than refined technique. 360
• His power is emotionally unstable and naturally conflicts with Virtue Holy Light. 371 419

Knight Training

Ancesta’s instruction gave Arno a foundation in Mindflow and Heart Intent Flow training. 86 87

• Highly resilient; trained specifically to withstand blows and evade attacks. 86
• Can perceive hostility and likely attack locations while under pressure. 111
• Achieved mental overclocking through Heart Intent Flow practice. 133
• Learned the Courage Meditation Method with unusual ease. 292

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Knight’s longsword — materialized from Courage Holy Light or Abomination Heart Power rather than consistently carried as a physical weapon. 352 360
• Silver full plate armor — restrains his Abomination aura while he guards the High Tower. 378
• Helmet — muffles his voice and helps conceal his transformed state. 370

Relationships

• Auli — childhood companion, fellow magic-book contractor, and later his lover; Arno’s desire to protect her is central to both his heroic path and his descent into Abomination. 81 111 534
• Ancesta — mentor and father-figure known to Arno as “Melancholy Uncle”; taught him the knight’s oath, Courage Creed, and Heart Power. Their ideological conflict later divides the knight orders. 86 131 419
• Ace — accepts Arno’s and Ancesta’s allegiance, resolves Arno’s meditation problem, guides his advancement, and appoints him High Tower war commander. 188 197 293 378
• Ollie — companion whom Arno repeatedly vows to protect; her near-death injury is a major catalyst for his transformation. 132 356 361
• Xavier — former detractor who becomes inspired by Arno and asks to become a knight like him. 138
• Betty — fellow High Tower war commander appointed alongside Arno. 378
• Vite — rival during the Underground World conflict; both reach pseudo-rank Legendary status. 534 535

Story Role / Major Arcs

Orphan of the Northern Fortress

Arno emerges as a protective leader among rescued orphans, especially toward Auli. His fights for food and readiness to take punishment establish his reputation for courage before he receives formal training. 81 85 86

Disciple of the Weathered Knight

Ancesta recognizes Arno’s potential and teaches him the Mindflow Knight tradition. Arno swears the eight-virtue oath, selects Courage as his Core Creed, and commits himself to becoming a hero strong enough to protect others. 86 87

Birth of the Knight of Courage

During the fortress crisis, Arno rejects escape and returns to aid Ancesta and the trapped children. His Courage Creed merges with inherent magic power, creating Heart Power and establishing him as the Knight of Courage. 131 133

High Tower Knight

Arno and Ancesta pledge loyalty to Ace and become knights of the High Tower. Arno participates in the Virtue Knights Association, advances to Formal Knight, and later becomes the Great Knight of Courage while facing Alex at Mount Baal. 188 292 293 352

Descent into Abomination

Auli’s near-death injury, the loss of his Courage Rune, and the Black Mud’s influence drive Arno to abandon Courage for a new creed of Abomination. He battles Alex as an Anti-Knight, but his power becomes dangerous even to those around him. 358 359 360

Black Knight of the High Tower

Arno returns carrying Auli and Ancesta’s ice coffins, suppresses his harmful aura, and accepts responsibility for guarding the High Tower. His conflict with the revived Ancesta results in the knight faction splitting into the Virtue Knights Order and Abyss Knights Order. 364 378 419

Underground World

Known as the Black Knight, Arno initially refuses to participate in Ace’s Destiny stage play alongside Auli. After reconsidering the wider crisis, he accepts his role and reaches pseudo-rank Legendary status amid the conflict with Vite. 534

Notable Quotes

“A hero is someone who has the ability to protect the weak and save the good.” 86

“I want to have the same qualities as my father, but I must have greater strength!” 86

“Melancholy Uncle, you can't hog all these worthy enemies to yourself!” 133

“I am a Knight, Arno, the Great Knight of Courage. Behind me is the boundless Courage Holy Light!” 352

“I am still a Knight, I have merely changed my creed.” 360

Trivia

• Arno struggles significantly with mathematics, despite his exceptional aptitude for knight cultivation. 114 129
• He has a habit of speaking bluntly about Ace, particularly when frustrated by Elementary Mathematics. 146
• His childhood training and evasive skill earned him the nickname “King of Evasion.” 111
• His defining slogan, taught by Ancesta, is: “That enemy is worth fighting!” 87