Adepts

Adepts are a type of supernaturally empowered beings which the Azure Striker Gunvolt series and its spinoffs revolve around.

In the decades since the first Adept appeared, their emergence has caused confusion and strife across the world, and also resulted in breakthroughs in many technical fields.

Nature

Naming

The full term for Adepts is Septimal Adept (第七波動（セブンス）能力者, Dai nana hadō (Sebunsu) Nōryoku-sha, "Seventh Wave (Seventh) Ability Person"), but this is normally shortened to just Adept (能力者). When compared to them, normal humans are generally referred to as non-Adepts (無能力者, Munōryoku-sha, "No-Ability Person").

In the Japanese version of the Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX series, Adepts have become known as Septima Holders (セプティマホルダー), with "Seventh" becoming "Septima" (セプティマ) instead like in the English versions. In both languages, the term for non-Adepts has also changed to Minos (マイナーズ, Minors), reflecting their new status as a minority population.

Lifewave

The existence of Adepts stems from the Lifewave (生命の波動, Seimei no Hadou), a natural power with different levels that all living beings own. Adepts are attached to the 7th, or Septimal, wave. The lower levels are as follows:

• Primordial (1st) to 3rd stage: Average humans and animals.
• Tetrad (4th) stage: Those labeled spiritualists (霊能力者), or alternatively ESP users (超能力者).
• Quinary (5th) stage: Stronger ones.
• Senary (6th) stage: Beings that have historically left behind all kinds of miracles. Those named “Saints” (『聖人』) and “Spiritual Beasts” (『霊獣』) fall into that category.

The Senary wave was considered the top category for a long time, but with the emergence of humans with a stronger wave and possessing far more overt and common sense defying abilities, a new category was eventually recognized: The 7th wave, Septima.

Although Septima is a higher level, that does not necessarily mean Adepts possess the abilities associated with the lower waves. Despite being an Adept, Xiao is apparently unable to perceive Joule's existence, while the normal human Quinn can. Only some Adepts have explicitly displayed or mentioned a spiritual awareness or 6th sense seemingly unrelated to their Septimal power:

• Zonda (Able to interact with Joule, also could sense when an Adept settlement was in danger)
• Desna (Premonitions of the future via star reading)
• Kirin (Can see ghosts; clarified that BB's Geist constructs aren't actually spirits of the dead)
• Carrera (Able to hear Joule)

It seems that knowledge of the meaning of Septima and existence of the lower waves and associated powers is rare. When Gunvolt ponders over Quinn's non-Septimal ability to see spirits, which likely means she is a level 4 or 5, neither he nor Xiao can think of any explanation for it. The Lifewave and meaning of Septima has never been brought up in the games, is seldom referenced in side materials, and has only been explained in detail in the opening narration of Azure Striker Gunvolt: Fleeting Memories, which serves as a prelude to a glimpse into the Sumeragi Group's occult-related research. Only the Sumeragi Group's secret, supernatural focused sister organization Shadow Yakumo is known to specialize in and actively utilize spiritualist powers below Septima.

Outside of the story, the waves have been compared to the 5 human senses, with those beyond that having a 6th sense, Adepts a 7th sense, and Gunvolt's new power in Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 beyond Septima an 8th sense.

Septima

Septima (第七波動（セブンス）, Seventh Wave [Seventh]) is the generic name for the superpower phenomenon of Adepts that began appearing some decades prior to the start of Azure Striker Gunvolt. It typically expresses itself in children under the age of 10, and in one case an infant less than a year old.

A kind of psychic power, Adepts use Septima to, at its most basic level, bend various forms of energy to their will. This allows them to do things like control fire, manifest energy insect swarms, and in general defy the laws of nature and physics. Septimal abilities manifest as distinct types with consistent characteristics, and have proper names such as Wormhole or Lightspeed. Many abilities are not unique, and may manifest within multiple different Adepts, although each individual's raw power output and skill with the Septima may differ greatly. Being able to create energy with a defined shape is considered proof of high power output and precise mental images.

Some abilities are closely related enough to be grouped together and can strongly interact, such as Azure Striker, The Muse, and Hack the Planet, which are all believed to be in the same group (同系流), with The Muse being considered a derivative of the "Electron-controlling Septimal Ability" ("電子を操る第七波動能力"). Different abilities of similar type may be ranked; Golden Trillion is considered the highest flame type (火炎（ルシム）系, Flame [Lucim] type) Septima, while The Djinn is considered an induction type (感応系) like The Muse and assumed to hold a high rank.

Many Septimal abilities manifest as energy such as heat or light. There's a very influential theory that Septima, through an unknown bodily ability, controls and changes pair annihilation internally to create massive energy. However, most of the mechanism that manifests that is unknown. As such, some scientists have misgivings and fears about using it as an energy resource. Although there are many Septimas that manifest many energy phenomena, ones that can rewrite the laws of physics are very rare and subjects of great interest to the Sumeragi Group's researchers.

Septima is said to be closely related to an one's emotions; a "soul given form." Septima is strongly linked to an Adept's consciousness and stems from willpower. If an Adept is knocked out, any power they are actively manifesting will usually vanish. Extreme negative emotions may cause their powers to go out of control. In one case, immense grief over the death of a loved one is implied to have caused a Septima to transform from an average power into something more potent. Since Septima is greatly influenced by the user's mental state, it's very hard to perform brainwashing on the user when the Septima is going berserk or when the user's personality hasn't been erased.

In a very small number of cases, an Adept's soul and/or power has persisted in some form after their death. (Additional info: Adepts#Spirits)

Despite being glorified or reviled for their powers, it is implied that most Adepts possess underwhelming abilities. The low ranking members who make up the majority of the Adept supremacist group Eden, known as Pawns, are mostly Adepts who either can't wield their Septima at will or possess abilities impractical for combat, and as such rely on conventional weapons to fight. This is mostly true for the Sumeragi Institute of Human Evolution as well, despite them existing in a time when Adepts have become the majority population. Among their common Adept soldiers, only wielders of Psychokinesis (a Septima noted for its combat potential) are known to use their ability to fight.

One example of a very weak Adept is the drugged up thug who attacked Quinn. Prior to consuming a Septima enhancing drug, his plant controlling power could only make the morning glory flower bloom faster.

The Sumeragi Group has a sparsely mentioned system for grading Adepts. The highest rank is S+ (originally SS in the Japanese version), which Gunvolt, Nova, and Zonda are ranked as. Despite only being a normal human, Copen with just his baseline skills was also considered on-par with an average Adept. After improving his equipment and weaponry via analyzing the Azure Striker, his combat power when fully equipped is on-par with S+ rank Adepts.

Octima

Beyond Septima are abilities known as Octima (第八波動（エース）, Eighth Wave [Eighth]), powers akin to the divine which can change even the world. Two types have been observed, Astral Order and Reverie Mirror.

Octima is also associated with the Primal Dragon phenomenon, and although Gunvolt's power after transforming into one is never explicitly identified as an Octima, it has also reached the level of threatening the world and there are a number of indicators that it is very close to being one.

Septimosome

The little-defined Septimosome (能力因子, Ability factor, or 誘因子, Incitement factor) is a bodily factor normally present in every Adept, and is connected to their ability to wield Septima as well as the type they possess. It can be found in blood, as Copen was able to retrieve a sample of Asimov's Septimosome just from bloodstains on his gun. Once a sample has been collected, it can be cultivated. Joule's cyber body in Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 is not considered a Septimosome.

Through some sort of procedure which the Sumeragi Group possesses, it is possible to extract an Adept's Septimosome (or "most" of their ability factors, in the Japanese version) and place it within an external sealing device, namely a Glaive. This normally prevents the Adept from using their Septima. However, sufficiently strong Adepts such as Nova and Merak are capable of still wielding a portion of their power even after this. The procedure may be reinforced with additional Glaives, but in the only known case this still proved ineffective to an extent.

About 14 years prior to the beginning of the series, Dr. Kamizono extracted the factors of The Muse from his infant daughter Mytyl, which were then implanted into the unborn designer child who would become Joule. This left Mytyl mute and physically frail-- complications not known to have occurred after any other Septimosome extraction--until she eventually fused with Joule's disembodied spirit and regained The Muse. The exact reason for Mytyl's ailments is unknown, although Xiao speculates it may have been because the technology at the time was incomplete, or because the extracted factors were placed in a "Living Glaive".

Spirits

Azure Spirits

When an Adept dies, their Septimosome generates an unknown energy known as Spirits (スピリット). When emitted by normal Septimosome, they vanish after a while, but the Spirits produced by Septima of infinite energy persist for a long time. This power can be absorbed by Adepts of the same family (同系統) of skills. Spirits produced by the Azure Striker Septima are known as Azure Spirits (ABスピリット), and in the case of the ones GV encounters in GV2, are described as the soul of the deceased Asimov. Absorbing those Azure Spirits granted GV new skills. However, some time after that, GV began to lose control of his own Septima, and he speculated that absorbing the Azure Spirits may have been one of the causes.

Armed Phenomenon

Under certain conditions, a transformation known as Armed Phenomenon (変身現象（アームドフェノメノン）) can occur. The subject's body changes into an armored form based on their Septima, and their power is enhanced significantly. The subject's physiology is also altered, as their hair and eye color change, their eye sclera turn black, and their blood itself seemingly turns black too. Armed Phenomenon is first known to have been discovered as a side effect of the Septimosome sealing and returning process of the Glaives.

At least in the case of the Glaives, the subject also experiences psychological changes; Nova once described it as "something like a trance" in which "your mood uplifts" and "your ego becomes bare".

Derivative devices designed to trigger the transformation rather than seal Septimosome, like the Grimoires and presumably the Falcon Quills, can produce stronger transformations. The Binding Brands, supernatural items the Glaives were based on that manipulate energy flows in the earth called dragon veins, are also capable of inducing this transformation. The transformations of powerful Adepts that succumb to Primal Dragonization are also considered a type of Armed Phenomenon.

Armed Phenomenon is not a permanent transformation. In Justice Rage, Nova and Jota discuss having transformed with their Glaives in the past, though they are currently untransformed. Ghauri is implied to have deactivated his Grimoire-induced Armed form at will before his boss fight in his stage in Gunvolt 2. After Gunvolt defeats Tenjian in the opening of Gunvolt 2, Tenjian's imitation Glaive bursts out of him and breaks, canceling his Armed form but leaving him alive. When Kirin defeats the ATEMS Knights in Gunvolt 3, they revert from their Binding Brand-induced Armed forms before escaping with the Brands intact. In all other known cases, however, Armed Phenomenon users do not involuntarily detransform until they are killed.

Gunvolt being able to fight on-par with and defeat transformed Adepts with mostly just his raw power is considered a remarkable trait.

Primal Dragons

There is a monstrous state of being and power beyond normal Adepts known as Primal Dragons (暴龍, Rampaging Dragon), which are said to be the end point of all Adepts. It is a dangerous state in which an Adept's Septimosome rampages, and their Septima causes the constant unconscious propagation of an anomalous wave known as Dragon Radiation (龍放射) too, which can trigger Primal Dragonization (暴龍化) in other Adepts and causes machines to malfunction. Although it is believed that just a little exposure to Dragon Radiation isn't a problem, in truth even a very small amount can interfere with Septimosomes and trigger Primal Dragonization.

Varying traits of this status are a berserk state of mind, enhanced power, and in the case of powerful Adepts, a dragon-like Armed Phenomenon being triggered. The ability of Kirin, Radiant Fetters, is the only known means to seal a Primal Dragon transformation. It is possible for an Adept to naturally maintain control and avoid Primal Dragonization even when their Septima has reached the Primal Dragon stage, but the only known case of this is ZedΩ. Non-Adepts can approach Primal Dragons without being affected, but because the radiation causes machines to malfunction, primitive weapons must be used to deal with them.

Decades prior to the appearance of Primal Dragons, the top researcher of Sumeragi's Septima research project concluded that in the near future Adepts would wipe out humanity. Kirin speculates that he may have known something about Adepts turning into Primal Dragons, and if so that the phenomenon was inevitable.

Different individuals have shown different traits:

• 

  The first and so far only being to be born as a Primal Dragon is the infant Moebius, whose future seeing and altering ability Astral Order is considered an Octima instead of a Septima. Nothing about Moebius' origin is known, beyond that he was born as a Primal Dragon due to possessing overpowered Septimosome. He is considered not only the true Ruler of Primal Dragons (暴龍の王), but also the Ruler of Adepts (能力者たちの王) because of his extraordinary powers.

• 

  Gunvolt was the first known Adept to turn into a Primal Dragon. In the beginning he ceased to physically age, and eventually began losing control over his power. Over time, his body transformed into what can only be called a giant literal dragon and he became mindlessly violent. After decades, his power built up to the point where even the 1000 Glaives assembled by the Sumeragi Group to contain him failed, and he was misidentified by Shadow Yakumo as the Ruler of Primal Dragons. It is not known what exactly caused Gunvolt to become like this, but he suspects his prior merging with the Muse Septima and/or absorption of Azure Spirits (fragments of Asimov's soul and Septima which caused Gunvolt's own Septima to degenerate and gain new abilities) are possible causes.
  As a Primal Dragon, Gunvolt's electricity output was high enough to render fossil fuels obsolete after Sumeragi began to harness and distribute it across Japan. However, this electricity also carried Gunvolt's Dragon Radiation and steadily affected the populace. Gunvolt being sealed by Kirin caused him to briefly revert to human form, and then turn into a dog-like form. Despite Gunvolt being sealed, Moebius foresaw that he would eventually end up destroying the world.
  While his power is never explicitly identified as an Octima in the story, several pre-release materials referred to it as Next Level or Next Phase (次の段階（ネクストフェーズ）) and compared it to an "8th sense" relative to normal Adepts having a 7th sense. Purportedly, it is basically comparable to an Octima. However, unlike Zonda's Septima which got a new name after evolving into Octima, Gunvolt's Septima still retains its original name and is not listed as an Octima like Astral Order and Reverie Mirror are.

• 

  Adepts awakened via exposure to Gunvolt's Dragon Radiation trigger Armed Phenomenon, but with draconic traits and masks covering their faces. The four recruited into the Dragon Saviors--BB, Shiron, Apollo, and Cayman--retained their minds and were capable of speech, but invariably lost control of their emotions and rampaged. Being sealed by Kirin causes them to return to normal and become unaffected by further Dragon Radiation exposure. Afterward, via unspecified means, they are able to take on their Armed Phenomenon forms again, but with no masks, no loss of emotional control, and no apparent radiation emission.

• Adepts in the Sumeragi Peacekeepers who suffered second-hand infection from the masked dragons' radiation lost their minds and went berserk, but did not physically transform.

Other Transformations

In the Luminous Avenger iX world, Asimov became a nigh-immortal electronic being with a deteriorating mind. His electronic form and Gunvolt's Primal Dragon form share some similarities in appearance, and as noted in the section above it may have been Asimov's Septima remains that helped cause Gunvolt to reach that state in the mainline world.

Purportedly, any Adept who releases 100% of their power will naturally turn into a strange form. For example, even without a Glaive, Viper could turn into that form if he achieved 100%. Those such as Gunvolt, ZedΩ, and Kirin who can use that level of power while remaining in human form are impressive/scary. It is unclear whether the form referred to here is Armed Phenomenon - the same one triggered by a Glaive - or something different.

Formation

The vast majority of Adepts are born randomly, with lineage playing no known factor. During the time of Azure Striker Gunvolt, all known parents and siblings of Adepts have been shown or implied to only be normal humans. The very first Adept was an Azure Striker who appeared in South America some decades prior to GV1.

Originally only being born in small numbers, the rate of Adept emergence has increased over time. By the time of Luminous Avenger iX, a century later, Adepts have come to outnumber humans to such a degree that they have become the new standard for "human", with those without Septima branded as "Minos".

It is unknown what the force behind Adept births is. Some speculate that Adepts are the next stage of human evolution, or are some kind of chosen ones. Due to how well the Sumeragi Group responded to their emergence, there are conspiracy theories that they somehow had foreknowledge of the advent of Adepts, or are even responsible for it by creating some new type of virus.

Intensifying the mystery is Dystnine. Originally only a mass production model android, he spontaneously developed a soul and Septima. How this occurred is unknown, as he received special protection and was later destroyed before he could be dismantled and studied.

Artificial Adepts

Adepts may be created artificially by taking normal humans and animals with latent Septimal potential, known as body donors (献体) or matches (適合者), and transplanting Septimosome into their bodies, causing abilities to bloom. It is hard to find successful matches. This method's potential for success is dependent on the subject's compatibility with the Septima as determined by unknown factors. An incompatible subject's implanted Septima will malfunction when they attempt to use it, with potentially lethal consequences. The implanted Septimosome and resulting ability may be removed shortly after its implantation, but is implied to become permanently bonded with the subject if enough time passes.

One large scale attempt at creating artificial adepts was the Sumeragi Group's Project Gunvolt, an attempt to mass produce Azure Strikers for energy research purposes. At least 77 matches were gathered for this project and failed to be compatible; only Asimov and Gunvolt are living successes.

Currently, only Sumeragi is known to have the technology and stock of cultivated Septimosomes required to perform this procedure, along with an unknown method for predicting a subject's compatibility with various types of Septima. This method is unreliable, as Nova was predicted to have the highest compatibility with the Azure Striker since Asimov, but almost died when attempting to use it. Gunvolt was considered the second most promising subject after Nova, albeit only a distant second, but he did prove to be compatible. It seems this system can assess the potential of matches in general, as the scientist overseeing Nova's failure remarked about how he should still be compatible with another Septima.

As genetics only play a limited role at best in the formation of Adepts, cloning one is an unreliable method of producing a match. An Adept's clone is unlikely to be compatible with the same Septima as the original, and in most cases won't have any potential as an Adept at all.

Known artificial Adepts are Joule, Asimov, Gunvolt, and Nova, as well as Blade in the Luminous Avenger iX timeline. Gunvolt and Joule have been described as just a few of the artificial Adepts created by Sumeragi.

There is only one known case of an individual being implanted with multiple Septimosome types at once, that being the Nova of an alternate world, who received an Azure Striker implant alongside his Psychokinesis implant. Nova was able to use both Septimas proficiently, but it proved harmful to his body.

Relationship with society

GV1 and GV2

As Adepts emerged, despite being a tiny portion of the population their existence brought great confusion to most of the world save for a small number of countries due to none of the usual common sense applying to them. Those who abuse their powers for criminal ends or terrorize people simply because they can abound, and it's said that some countries' governments have collapsed due to rampaging Adepts. Their existence also brought amazing breakthroughs in technical fields as things once thought impossible became more real, although most of the new technology wasn't ideal for mass production due to the limited population and differing abilities of Adepts.

Because of their powers and the danger they can pose, Adepts can often face intense discrimination and persecution and are either feared or hated by non-Adepts, even being called "monsters" by some. An Adept may also face discrimination based on the type of Septima they possess, as many people believe that Septima is related to personality. Viper was ostracized and became an outcast due to possessing Explosion, a Septima also wielded by a criminal who attacked a mall.

The overall situation appears to differ by country, with Japan in particular having unparalleled public safety and some acceptance of Adepts due to the Sumeragi Group's influence and possession of exclusive technology (Glaives) capable of controlling their powers. Within Sumeragi, some Adepts like Nova have even been given positions of high authority and entrusted with upholding national defense. Among civilians, there are at least some cases of Adepts like Stratos and Himeshiro being popular. However, this peace was only achieved thanks to Sumeragi's inhumane practices, including abducting any Adepts of interest they pleased and conducting human experimentation behind closed doors, and although they are officially only a conglomerate, in reality they have usurped the government as the ruling body of Japan.

Beneath this forced peace Japan is shown to be in a dire state, with the aforementioned incident involving Viper occurring here, and Adept gang warfare exists and has left one neighborhood in ruins. Many foreign powers are also said or shown to present a threat to the country. Much of Sumeragi's exclusive Adept-related "technology" is in fact based on supernatural artifacts and occult practices, and problems with it are swept under the rug. Reckless experimentation endorsed by the profit-driven top brass despite warnings by their late top researcher, Dr. Kamizono, has resulted in high numbers of personnel deaths (including Dr. Kamizono himself), destroyed labs, and the creation of threats that wouldn't have existed otherwise. In other to create a lasting solution, at some point Sumeragi even conceived "Project Muse", a plan to use a certain Adept's power to brainwash Adepts across the world into compliance and recruit an army for national defense, but this was never achieved. Following the events of GV1, incidents involving Adepts were happening almost every day, and a drug that enhanced Septima at the expense of sanity had made its way to the streets.

It is not fully known how Adepts are treated outside of Japan, but it generally appears to be worse. In the Japanese script of GV2, Zonda thinks Gunvolt only believes in coexistence because Japan is a peaceful country. In Eden's Party, in an unspecified land Tenjian finds the destroyed remains of an Adept settlement with piles of bodies everywhere, and later he calls the event "the non-Adepts' lynching" (無能力者どもの私刑) as if it's not an unusual occurrence.

On a case-by-case basis, the following is known based on specific individuals:

• China: Both Tenjian and Zonda suffered heavy discrimination for being Adepts in their hometown, with the former being abandoned by his parents, having stones tossed at him, and later being given poisoned food by a stranger while starving. Public order was also stated to be bad, and after the orphanage he and other orphans stayed in closed due to the owner dying of illness, nobody would adopt them despite Tenjian's efforts to find homes due to his status as an Adept.
• France: Asroc was strictly instructed by his mother to keep his power a secret, but when a little detail let it slip, rumors began to spread and he gained a baseless bad reputation within his hometown. As Asroc attempted to overcome that, his family died in a house fire, the famous patissier who accepted him as an apprentice abandoned him out of fear of being dragged into the mess, and it later came to light that the fire was arson committed by a man who'd been deluded by the rumors.
• United States: A movement to ban Adepts from competitions began, and Ghauri was never able to become an official skater despite receiving special education for gifted children in figure skating. After joining an Adepts-only street dancer team and gaining a good reputation and fame in their region, in that area distrust towards Adepts grew stronger, they were denied participation in a tournament at the last minute by the organizers, and enmity by jealous rival teams for their Septima-based performances eventually led to sabotage that crippled their leader for life, resulting in the team's disbanding.
• England: Gibril was accepted into and graduated from preparatory school, but the stress of having a daughter who was different from normal drove her father, who was stiff and concerned about reputation, to violently "coach" her mother until she died, resulting in Gibril killing him out of anger and fear. Although she received counseling at a reception center afterwards, she fled and joined a wandering delinquent gang of Adepts, committing all sorts of crimes to survive.
• Russia: Desna was beloved by the wealthy family she was born into for her beauty and accurate astrology, to the point of being called “the girl loved by God”. However, political change caused a bloody riot led by a powerful Adept, and within her hometown Adepts started being seen as dangerous. Desna was confined to her home, but escaped and traveled the world, witnessing several cases of intense friction between Adepts and non-Adepts, and gruesome persecution of Adepts.
• Other non-Japanese individuals include Moniqa (non-Adept, Germany), Zeno (Italy), Milas (Australia), and Teseo (Korea), but their given backgrounds don't reveal much about the conditions of their homelands. In Teseo's case, it is mentioned that a famous video-sharing website closed down because of the world's status worsening.

Pro-Adept organizations also exist. The armed organization QUILL, which opposes Sumeragi, was formed out of an overseas human rights group led by Adepts in order to fight for the freedom and rights of their kind. While most members are Adepts, some non-Adepts like Moniqa have also joined. There are also non-Adept backers of the organization whose support is essential to it, but founding member Asimov believes they only have self-serving motives. Unbeknownst to his subordinates, Asimov was secretly an Adept supremacist and former guinea pig of Sumeragi who sought the eventual eradication of non-Adepts.

On the openly extreme end, the multinational Adept union Eden seeks to create an Adepts-only utopia and eradicate all non-Adepts. For most of its history it was an organization that acted behind the scenes and was suspected to be involved in subversive activities in various countries outside Japan, but by GV2 had become more active and was believed to have even taken over Xiao Wu's homeland (implied to be China) while placing the local QUILL branch under their thumb, prior to staging an invasion of Japan. By the end of GV2, Eden was effectively wiped out.

Gunvolt 3

Several decades after the events of Gunvolt 2, the Adept population has increased and discrimination against them appears to have softened, as any conflict between the two groups is only rarely alluded to.

Within Japan, despite the Sumeragi Group consolidating its rule even more, many Adepts have a strong sense of privacy about their Septima and there's an unspoken rule among them not to pry into it, which ironically is close to QUILL's rule of "Don't go snooping on others' Septimas", although in this time period the organization's status and/or legacy are unclear. The Sumeragi Group has made great improvements in Glaive technology, with new models being much cheaper to produce and more effective with the ability to suppress Septima from a distance without performing any Septimosome extraction surgery. Many low tier Adepts have joined Sumeragi's Peacekeepers as soldiers.

However, the appearance of berserk Primal Dragons among Adepts caused by Sumeragi carelessly using electricity with Dragon Radiation has caused a national crisis and increased tensions between Sumeragi and its secret sister organization Shadow Yakumo. In order to handle the crisis, the Sumeragi Bureau of Dragon Saviors was formed by Shadow Yakumo's Kirin and the electricity's source, Gunvolt. Following the awakening and disappearance of Moebius together with Gunvolt, Primal Dragons became a worldwide threat.

Outside of Japan, discrimination also appears to have softened. ZedΩ is accepted as the prince of a certain Arab kingdom, hasn't suffered any traumatic events during his life, and was allowed to start his own armed Adept organization ATEMS and granted custody of a powerful Adept upon request. Among his top Adept subordinates/harem, Grazie and Prado had normal lives prior to being recruited by him, while two with dark pasts, Serpentine and Sistina, suffered due to circumstances not involving discrimination by others for being Adepts.

Despite this, extra materials have implied that tensions still exist. ZedΩ's stance on the Adept vs non-Adept conflict is that Adepts will win and eventually weed out the non-Adepts, and he's concerned about how life and order will be "in the future world", although in Epilogue ATEMS it is shown that he's becoming considerate of saving all of humanity when a potential lead on curing the Primal Dragon problem is found. It is revealed that ATEMS is suspicious of Sumeragi's Septima research arm because of how many Adepts have been sacrificed by it, and it's stated that non-Adepts, who are unaffected by the radiation, are using primitive weapons to fight against Adepts who've turned into Primal Dragons.

iX Timeline

In this alternate timeline, a century has passed and Adepts have become the majority population. To maintain global world order, the Sumeragi Group was re-branded as the Sumeragi Institute of Human Evolution under the leadership of its supervisory AI, "Demerzel", who started promoting Adepts as the new standard for "human", and branding those without Septima as "Minos". Compared to the treatment that Adepts received back when they were the minority, the Minos had it worse as the latter's treatment by Sumeragi is tantamount to genocide.

Following Demerzel's destruction, Sumeragi Institute second-in-command Blade took over leadership and ended their genocidal campaign against the Minos.

List of Abilities

Introduced in Azure Striker Gunvolt

Septima Name	User(s)
Description
Azure Striker (蒼き雷霆（アームドブルー）, Azure Thunderclap [Armed Blue])	The first Adept Asimov (implant) Gunvolt (implant) Blade (implant) Nova Tsukuyomi (implant)
The first Septima to ever be discovered. An electric ability that allows the wielder to control electrons at will. It is a versatile power capable of many different feats: lightning attacks of various kinds, physical enhancement, EM field manipulation, forcefield generation, limited flight, controlling electronic devices, and most mysteriously even materializing solid chains. The essence that allows this Septima to generate electricity is named Electric Psycho (EP) Energy. Due to the Azure Striker's versatility and potential as an energy resource, it is one of the most heavily researched abilities by the Sumeragi Group, with some researchers saying it has infinite possibilities, and one even calling it the ultimate Septima, making it one of the three Septimas given that distinction. With special equipment or other enhancements, wielders can gain the damage-negating ability Prevasion, which automatically shifts their flesh to electrons to allow all kinds of attacks to harmlessly pass through. For unknown reasons, some users of this Septima produce immaterial feathers that quickly fade away when using some of their techniques. It is possible for wielders to permanently become monstrous electronic lifeforms, a feat which Demerzel claims is the ultimate for an Azure Striker.
The Muse (電子の謡精（サイバーディーヴァ）, Cybernetic Singing Fairy [Cyber Diva])	Mytyl Kamizono Joule (implant)
A consciousness induction ability that uses songs to resonate with other Adepts' Septima and increase their power. Can manifest virtual avatars of variable appearances, such as Lumen. It can also revive people on the brink of death by enhancing their bodily functions. It is classified as an "electron-controlling Septima" and closely related to the Azure Striker, which it has high synergy with. Because of its ability to enhance Septima and influence the minds of Adepts, it is an extremely valuable ability sought by organizations like Sumeragi and Eden. According to Xiao Wu, it is a power that can change the world. The ability can interfere with electronic devices, possibly to a greater extent than the Azure Striker. One time when Joule was passionately playing an online game and on the verge of losing, she was able to send Lumen into the MMO, directly control her player character, and manipulate the system to achieve a 100% critical hit and item drop rate. It is also capable of more physical powers, such as protecting people with a semi-transparent barrier (named Cyber Field in the Japanese version) that can block attacks, and as the Butterfly Effect manifestations of Lumen fired medium and large energy beams (although it's unclear if the beams were truly a Muse power or part of the machine's defense system).
Psychokinesis (念動力（サイコキネシス）, Mind Power [Psychokinesis])	Nova Tsukuyomi (implant) Sumeragi Institute soldiers
Directly converts thoughts to energy and interferes with space and matter. Because similar, weaker abilities were detected prior to the discovery of Septima, Psychokinesis is considered the most primitive Septima. In terms of pure combat, it is superior to the Azure Striker. Wielders can freely levitate or fly, and in battle typically use purple energy spheres and rings launched from the wielder's hands, with manifesting the spheres around a target and converging to crush them being an advanced technique. Nova is able to use telepathic waves to remotely control an attack satellite that was specially modified for him. Sumeragi Institute soldiers also display what appears to be a teleportation technique, appearing in order to attack and disappearing when Copen is not near.
Explosion (爆炎（エクスプロージョン）, Explosive Flame [Explosion])	Viper Unnamed thief
Controls heat energy, allowing the wielder to scorch things and produce flames. One technique is to compress a large amount of energy into a sphere, known as an Angry Bomb, which explodes upon contact with anything. It is also possible to change the air's heat to control its flow and create a small scaffolding which can be kicked off of. According to Viper, this Septima is only good for burning and blowing things up.
Rebirth (生命輪廻（アンリミテッドアニムス）, Life Cycle [Unlimited Animus])	Elise
Controls souls, resurrects living things, and spins unlimited life. It is one of the Septimas referred to as "ultimate ability". Normally Elise and her alternate persona Elise 3 can only create zombies, but the insane Elise 2 persona is capable of true resurrections, which the other two can wield thanks to her. After transforming with a Glaive, Elise can also use moves like Gorgon Gaze to put people looking directly at it into a state of petrification. In battle, Elise 2 demonstrated complete invulnerability to normal attacks and could only be killed by Septima neutralizing bullets.
The Fly (翅蟲（ザ・フライ）, Winged Insect [The Fly])	Stratos
Allows the user to change their flesh into energy bodies shaped like flies, which can decompose whatever they touch and absorb it as their own energy. After transforming with a Glaive, Stratos can rebuild his energy body into different forms, but because he has almost no intelligence left and is running on instinct, the forms can't be complex.
Wormhole (亜空孔（ワームホール）, Subspace Hole [Wormhole])	Merak
Triggers distortions in space and links separate locations, opening traversable holes between them. Merak can also distort the space he links to, but it's hard to control and not all-powerful. The transfer destination is limited to "places where [I] know of", so unknown locations and dangerous places (like inside a wall) can't be linked to. The wormholes may also be set up as placement-traps, but when this is done the transfer accuracy is lower. The spatial distortions seen so far are: Connecting one wormhole to three to replicate projectiles like rockets and bullets sent through. Connecting a smaller wormhole to a bigger one to massively increase the size of a robot's fist going in and out. It has also been shown that the "places where [I] know of" limitation does not necessarily mean wielders have to have visited the place in-person before. In Lazy Kingdom, just tracking down Elise's real-world location was enough for Merak to warp into her home.
Lightspeed (残光（ライトスピード）, Afterglow [Lightspeed])	Jota
An ability that, apart from controlling photons to some extent, also allows the user to change their body into photons for literal light-speed movement. However, while transformed into light the user cannot think, which means attacking in this state is not possible and destinations for light-speed movement must be decided in advance.
Magnetic Arts (磁界拳（マグネティックアーツ）, Magnetic Field Fist [Magnetic Arts])	Carrera
Wields a special magnetic energy that allows for drawing in and repelling things, including the user's own body for levitation and high-speed movement. It also possesses the special property of pulling in and scattering Septima itself, more or less sealing other Adepts' abilities. This is a unique Septima; Carrera is the first and only known wielder of it, and named it himself.
Phantasm Mirror (夢幻鏡（ミラー）, Dream Mirror [Mirror])	Zonda
A Septima which can show all sorts of virtual images to the opponent. This ability is unparalleled; there’s nothing else like it. In addition to creating illusions, it is said to harbor an unknown power. Many power have been demonstrated: Form shifting, twisting the image of the world, producing simple copies for quick attacks, producing intricate copies of the self and even other Adepts which possess their Septima and memories and shatter upon defeat, and sealing a spirit-like existence (Joule) in a mirror and breaking it into pieces filled with her power.

Introduced in Azure Striker Gunvolt 2

Septima Name	User(s)
Description
Permafrost (超冷凍（オールフリーズ）, Super Freezing [All Freeze])	Tenjian
An ability that can instantly freeze anything. After transforming with a Grimoire, Tenjian's range of effect becomes great enough to freeze over a city. By lightly bundling and coiling the cold waves used to freeze a city around his swords, they overcome the domain of thermodynamics and reach temperatures below absolute zero, allowing Tenjian to steal the elasticity of all kinds of molecular structures and smash and cut them. The usage of his Septima with swords is done to compensate for Permafrost's weakness of having a wide radius of effect, but being difficult to handle. When Tenjian is resolved to die, this Septima is taken to its utmost limit and it can even freeze concepts like "space", "soul", and "time" within ice, but using this level of power will freeze and kill the wielder too.
Metallon (メタリカ, Metallica)	Gibril
Controls metal. It normally manifests in the form of a red liquid, but when needed can be changed into solid metals. It can influence living beings by controlling iron within the bloodstream, allowing the user to enhance their own body's strength and speed, but trying to control other living people is impractical. Spilled blood can also be used to make a blade.
Ichor (リキッド, Liquid)	Milas Other users
Controls liquids. Aptitude with certain liquids can vary between Adepts with this ability. Milas's power when manipulating fresh and sea water is greater than any other known Ichor Adept, but he tends to be poor at controlling other liquids, possibly due to his personality.
Hack the Planet (ワールドハック, World Hack)	Teseo
Turns matter into data and vice versa, including the wielder and other people. Data can be modified by the user, and space that is "digitized" around the user is placed under their control and can have the laws of physics within it distorted. This Septima is believed to be in the same family as the Azure Striker and The Muse, and has displayed stronger hacking abilities than the Azure Striker. Complicated objects cannot be materialized, and sufficiently complex ones can take a certain amount of time to finish. Teseo was unable to completely recreate the advanced unmanned tank Plasma Legion based on data provided to him on short notice, settling for creating a downgraded model instead (although later on he would upgrade it to the full form).
Splitting Ends (タングルヘア, Tangle Hair)	Desna
Allows the wielder to rapidly generate, retract, and control their body hair. The hair's hardness can be precisely controlled and made harder than diamond. In battle the hair can be used as whips, drills, and sometimes a solid shield that deflects attacks.
Marionette (パペットワイヤー, Puppetwire)	Asroc
A Septima that uses string-based energy to strengthen and operate machines. Unlike the electronics hacking of the Azure Striker and Hack the Planet, Marionette controls the physical machine itself; it's actually very similar to psychokinesis. Machines controlled with the strings can bring out far more potential then they were designed to. Not only can prototype machines with engine power output problems be activated, but even broken down wrecks can be reanimated with the full performance they originally had.
Prism Cataclysm (プリズム, Prism)	Ghauri
Creates and controls crystals, which are far harder than those which exist in the natural world. The crystals' condensation and refraction of light can be calibrated according to the user's will.
Reverie Mirror (夢想境（ワンダーランド）, Reverie Boundary [Wonderland])	Zonda
After absorbing The Muse, Zonda's Phantasm Mirror Septima transformed into this ability, which she claims truly changes reality rather than producing illusions. It is one of the Septimas that have been referred to as the ultimate ability. Its power is so vast that it may even be called an Octima instead of a Septima, and at the time of her transformation Zonda was not completely in control of her newfound power. Reverie Mirror has been formally recognized as an Octima, making it one of only two powers with the distinction.

Introduced in Azure Striker Gunvolt 3

Septima Name	User(s)
Description
Radiant Fetters (鎖環（ギブス）, Chain Rings [Gibs])	Kirin
Kirin's ability (which is categorized as a Septima for convenience in current research but appears to be a separate kind of power). A unique ability capable of sealing Septimas, owned by only one person in the world so far. It can seal not only Septimal powers but also energies such as heat or shocks. Radiant Fetters can be stored in a variety of substances, and Kirin mainly uses her powers via talismans she throws. Although there are several unclear aspects such as effective range and period, the seal will not lose its effect unless Kirin herself completely loses consciousness. The strength of the seal is controlled by Kirin's will, and various applications can be created by cooperating with other Adepts. When combined with the Azure Striker, Image Pulses based on memories can be made, potentially enabling a large variety of offensive, defensive, and support abilities derived from other Adepts.
Geist (死霊（ガイスト）, Dead Spirits [Geist])	B.B.
Creates and controls thought masses shaped like dead spirits, often manifesting as will-o-wisp looking flames. Contrary to attacks that speak of invoking actual spirits and souls of the dead, they're energy masses rather than souls. B.B. isn't aware of it, but the shape is due to his sensitivities. His ability to create energy with a defined shape is proof of high power output and mental images, so they shouldn't be underestimated as "mere" energy masses.
Overclock (超速演算（オーバークロック）, High Speed Calculations [Overclock])	Shiron
Light-speed calculations that can read an opponent's every move. Even calculating the coordinates of ballistic missiles in flight is possible. It is a power that allows the wielder to turn the entire surrounding space into a numerical sequence, and to use the macros created to weaponize and guide objects around the wielder, as well as to transport them through space by manipulating coordinates. Since it is more dependent on the environment than the user's physical ability, it can be said that this Septima is not very suitable for direct combat.
Pendulum (振子（ペンドュルム）)	Apollo
Applies vectors (movement energy) to the wielder and external objects, parrying flying objects, or moving in a way that's impossible according to the laws of physics. He can use his movements and those of decoy objects to confuse others, but a very skilled Septima usage technique is necessary. Apollo states that it may be powerful in combat, but it is not very useful in everyday life.
Duelist (喧嘩上等（タイマン）)	Cayman
Creates a special space named "Duel Field", and Cayman can enforce "Duel Rules" on both himself and the opponent. Among Septimas it is very rare for an ability to rewrite the laws of physics like this, so Duelist is a subject of great interest to Sumeragi's researchers. The ability can force opponents to fight "fairly", preventing cheap evasive tactics like climbing up walls out of range of attacks. As power increases, it begins actively pulling the opponent towards the wielder, and at full power forces the wielder and opponent to stay within a certain distance of each other. In his transformed state, Cayman also displays superhuman strength and can generate flames and shockwaves.
Golden Trillion (金色の黎明（ゴールドトリリオン）, Golden Dawn [Gold Trillion])	ZedΩ
It is the highest ranked flame type Septima. One of the Septimas of infinite energy, same as the Azure Striker. Capable of atom manipulation and nuclear fusion, it can even create a pseudo-sun. Thanks to extremely high applicability, it can imitate other powers at first glance, and overpower them by the difference in output unless they are something too unique. ZedΩ prefers to exhibit his power in the form of birds. Similar to the Azure Striker, it is capable of things like flight, producing blades of light, teleportation (Lux Assault), and allowing attacks to harmlessly pass through the wielder (Vibratio).
The Djinn (電子の踊精（サイバージーン）, Cybernetic Dancing Fairy [Cyber Jinn])	Layla
A Septima of a similar type to The Muse, manifesting as the Septimal avatar Luxia, who can enhance others' abilities and create various other effects through song. Its range is longer than The Muse's when not externally amplified; Layla was able to manifest Luxia in Japan to gather information and revive Primal Dragons from ATEMS' base in a far-off country. Like The Muse, The Djinn is an induction type ability, and the ability is assumed to be of high rank. Luxia has a sense of self like Lumen, but while The Muse had a self close to the feelings of the user, Luxia's relationship with Layla is unknown.
Sandstorm (剛砂（サンドストーム）, Sturdy Sand [Sandstorm])	Grazie
Controls sand and can create many things. The mutability increases depending on output, and has many uses, such as building, farming, and modifying materials by polishing. During battle, Grazie protects herself with sand armor and fights by making weapons. Earth, sand, and sandstorms can all be controlled, and with her own knowledge of minerals and building, Grazie was responsible for constructing most of the buildings that ATEMS owns. When powered up by a Binding Brand, she has displayed the ability to coat the UTU Media Tower in sand and transform it into a massive palace.
Trick Bullet or Trick Shot (魔弾（トリックバレット）, Magic Bullet [Trick Bullet])	Sistina
Produces bullets of different materials born out of the user's imagination, from tracking bullets, to grenades, to burst bullets, and the size can be changed at will too. The fire rate can be controlled, making it the best in the category of energy-firing Septima.
Hot & Cold (双劫（ヒート＆クール）, Dual Kalpas [Heat & Cool])	Prado
Widely known as a Septima that controls the two attributes of ice and flame, and hyped up by the user Prado as such, it is actually an ability to manipulate the temperature of space. Prado produces and controls ignition and freezing simultaneously, by locally performing temperature control at an extreme. Normally one side would be picked depending on the situation, but due to her nature she uses it in a fierce way. Prado implies that it is a unique Septima, and even with his long history of fighting Adepts, GV stated it was his first time encountering one like it.
Phantom Mist (霧渡（ファントムミスト）, Fog Crossing [Phantom Mist])	Serpentine
An ability that pries into the minds of others with fog, and creates illusions. It manifests the target's traumas, but if the target has none, then there is no effect, although the manifested traumas of one person may be used against a different target. The illusions of Adepts can wield replicas of their original powers. Serpentine has also displayed the ability to merge with mist and move through it. While the ability is always effective indoors, outdoors in dry climates her combat performance is reduced. Although it can provide a mental advantage over an opponent by recreating unpleasant memories, it can affect the user as well if used too much. Working as an assassin with this power and seeing hideous traumas and human karma sickened Serpentine's mind and made her wish for a place to die. Depending on the target's trauma extent and the memories that are seen, the effect can change or the user might be unable to recreate them. It's a Septima meant for confusion or covert ops.
Astral Order (無限の星詠（アストラルオーダー）, Infinite Star Reading [Astral Order])	Moebius
The Octima of the Primal Dragon infant Moebius. It can control fate, and the world to head for the future of his choice. He can't control "impossible" futures, though. When used against an individual, it can meddle with their past or future, and depending on the choices of said targeted individual, it's possible to send them into "a possible world that might have existed". Even while sealed and sleeping, brain-wave observations determined that Moebius was always seeing the future.

Introduced in Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX

Septima Name	User(s)
Description
Fusion (憑依（フュージョン）, Possession [Fusion])	Mantis Zombie operator
Draws in and assembles scrap pieces, which the wielder may then possess by transforming into a ball of energy and fusing with the amalgamation. Sufficient damage to the assembled pieces will cancel the fusion.
Energy Wool (編糸細工（クラフトウール）, Knitting Yarn [Craft Wool])	Rebellio
Produces a fibrous energy that envelopes the user and can be used to weave various constructs, such as ropes for rapid movement or binding others, bladed weapons, and even a gatling gun that fires string bits as bullets. The wielder may also "unknit" their own body and reconstruct it elsewhere.
Gravity (重力（グラビティー）)	Stella
Controls gravitational force. Stella can lower gravity over a large area, but must focus on specific objects to raise their gravity.
Detonation (起爆（デトネーション）)	Crimm
Fires sparkling spheres of compressed energy, which explode in highly contained but powerful explosions.
Companion (分身（コンパニオン）, Alter Ego [Companion])	Isola
Creates energy bits called EXSIA, as well as copies of the wielder of varying quality. Pink tinged copies have been used as EXSIA attack center points, while a full color and talking one can be used for multitasking.
Vectored Cloth (偏向布巾（ベクタードクロス）, Deflection Dishcloth [Vectored Cloth])	Dystnine
Produces cloth that can manipulate vectors in whatever it touches, allowing the wielder to deflect light to hide their location, or change an enemy's inertia.
Spiral (螺旋（スパイラル）)	Bakto
Manifests a torrent of spiraling energy that can be focused on foes, deflect attacks, or allow for rapid movement. Although a simple ability, it has a strong balance of offense, defense, and speed.

• When Copen and Lola encounter mindless copies of the Falcons in the form of holograms with mass, they are unsure if these are someone's Septima or technology, and the truth is never made clear in the game. However, the website for the crossover game Card-en-Ciel describes them as Image Pulses created by Demerzel.

Introduced in side material

Septima Name	User(s)
Description
Hydro Pressure (超水圧（ハイドロプレッシャー）, Super Water Pressure [Hydro Pressure])	L&D punk
Creates and controls water.
Oscillation (振動（オシレイション）, Vibration [Oscillation])	Alita
Vibrates things.
Unnamed rupturing Septima	Raptor
Gorily ruptures human bodies. Largely unknown specifics. Raptor used this power to operate as a serial killer, and despite murdering people in broad daylight, was able to one day disappear without ever being caught.
Unnamed teleportation Septima	Himeshiro
Allows the wielder to teleport themselves or nearby objects, including Septimal attacks. Himeshiro was able to displace an Explosion user's Angry Bomb before it hit her, and teleported behind him to deliver a chop to the neck.
Unnamed plant-controlling Septima	Drug-using thug
Originally, the Adept with this power could only make morning glory flowers bloom faster. After using the sanity degenerating Booster Drug to enhance his Septima, he became able to summon and control a tree root from the ground with enough force to tear apart pavement and nearly crush Quinn to death.
Unnamed power reception Septima	Olga
Senses and temporarily copies the Septima of other Adepts, potentially over an enormous range. Olga was initially mistaken as a Muse user by Eden, and while this didn't prove fruitful in itself, her manifesting Sumeragi's virtual idol Lumen tipped them off to the location of the real thing.

Related Phenomena

• The Glaives which were created to seal the Septima of Adepts were based on Binding Brands, artifacts with unknown mechanisms that were used in ancient times to control power emerging from Dragon Veins (龍脈) and boost Japan's spiritual defenses. Dragon Veins are sources of spiritual power, and in the past were places of faith and training grounds for spiritualism users, but in the present are believed to be inactive and have stopped sprouting power.
• Research conducted in the home nation of ATEMS discovered an unknown power that resembles Septima, known as Anergy Power (アネルギーパワー, shortened as AP). There are scholars who claim there is no difference, but research is underway. ATEMS has developed ICBMs known as APF Warheads (APF弾頭) that deploy AP special powerfields (APの特殊力場), allowing the missiles to even pierce through the Sumeragi Group's national defense barrier which can block any normal missiles.
• Kirin's sealing ability Radiant Fetters, which is categorized as a Septima for research convenience, appears to be a separate type of power.

Trivia

• The basis for the Gunvolt series being about psychic (Adept) battles was the manga Locke the Superman, which heavily inspired series director Yoshihisa Tsuda. The boss transformations were also inspired by the manga Saint Seiya.
  • The Primal Dragon phenomenon in Gunvolt 3 has some resemblance to part of the Dragons' Blood story arc of Locke the Superman. In it, the matrix of a creature native to the planet Rakhnoll known as a Wyvern is incorporated into a human subject, boosting ESP levels and improving genetic weaknesses, but once ESP usage exceeds a certain level the subject begins transforming into a "dragon man."
• The series being about Adepts is similar to how Speed Power Gunbike, the very first game to be made by series developer Inti Creates, and which was also directed by Tsuda, features an evolved race of humans known as the Michi who are at war with humanity, with both sides utilizing a mysterious evolution-promoting mental energy known as Anergy or Anergy Power. References to the Michi are most prominent in Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 with Eden, and Gunvolt 3 also introduced "Anergy Power" as part of the setting (see Adepts#Related Phenomena section).
• The Japanese word for Adepts, 能力者 (Nōryoku-sha, "Ability Person"), is a long used generic term for characters with superpowers in various media.
• With some abilities, there appear to be Street Fighter series homages. The first Adept, an Azure Striker, being a lightning user from South America is reminiscent of Blanka (ブランカ), and depending on the translation Materials may reference his name with "Blan" (ブラン) cells and atoms. The Golden Trillion being described as a "Flame (Lucim)" (火炎（ルシム）) Septima in the Japanese version may also be a reference to Dhalsim (ダルシム), who wields fire. Adding to this, the Azure Striker and Golden Trillion are considered comparable abilities.
• Originally, the highest rank for Adepts was referred to as SS in the Japanese script and initial Dengeki Nintendo profiles. Later DN profiles, as well as the Azure Striker Gunvolt Official Complete Works, refer to it as S+ like in the English localized script.
• Luminous Avenger iX has an unusual case of terminology. In the main series Japanese script, Adepts are the aforementioned "Ability Person", and Septima is called "Seventh". In the JP script of LAiX, set 100 years later, Adepts are now referred to as Septima Holders and their powers as Septima, similar to the English localized script. This shift in terminology is lost in the English version of LAiX.
  • It's possible this change is due to the character of Demerzel, who, as a son to American immigrants, would likely speak English as a first language, suggesting that different languages have different terms for Adepts and other related terminology.

Cut Septima Concepts

During development of the games, several potential abilities for characters were considered during the concept phase before being scrapped in favor of another power, and have yet to appear as canon Septimas. Currently, the only known case of a scrapped Septima being reused for a later Adept is Asroc's Puppetmaster; early Merak concepts had a power very similar to it all the way up until a near-final design (this design is depicted below together with early Elise's; puppet wires were going to be emitted from the chair's claws).

Name/Description	Character	Image
Notes
"Submerging"	Elise (early design)
Could swim through both water and solid matter. Part of a design with an aquatic theme. Reference to the stand Oasis from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
"Time"	Ghauri (early design)
Concept design had clock hands on the back and fired bullets from them. Likely meant to tie in to his Cinderella motif. Scrapped due to "certain reasons..." In LAiX2, Copen says he's never heard of a time controlling Adept when the concept is brought up after defeating Hail and acquiring Cryo-Flash.
"Anti-Muse sound waves"	Milas (early design)
Milas' harp would project sound waves that could disable Kudos songs and the Anthem state. It is mentioned in Milas's designer comments that a water boss was requested by a game planner when the team was still deciding which fairy tales to use as boss motifs, so presumably this power would have been part of either Ichor or a different water-related Septima.
Space (Zone) (空間（ゾーン）)	Shiron (early design)
Capable of instantly identifying and supervising all kinds of spaces (possibly limited but stronger than Teseo). The head and waist tails could attack independently, and they can form "Infinite Computation" when connected, calculating the future with ○○-ed(illegible) computing power. The detailed description of Overclock in the Azure Striker Gunvolt Official Complete Works is fairly close to this. Part of a design with Ouroboros and infinity elements, which in the final game were given to Moebius (who also sees the future with his Astral Order ability).
"Damage Absorption"	Cayman (early design)
The more damage he took, the stronger he'd get as his "heads" built up energy and grouped together/combined. Cayman's designer comments state that they did try to include this in his specifications, but it was too difficult to make it work, and in the end his ability was completely different. In one early design, his arms had Carrera-like armor parts that would grow in size and attack power, but this lowered his defense as they detached from his body, and his attacks would expend the built up energy, reverting the parts and raising his defense back to normal.
Reflection (反射)	Apollo (early design)
When attacked by a Septimal power, he would seal it into something called "Jester Pendulum" and shoot it back to his enemy. This was based on the Japanese martial art Aikido. Conceptually this has some similarities to Kirin's Septima and Image Pulse, but it's unknown if there's any development connection.
Charm (魅了)	Serpentine (early design)
Poison ability that would zombify enemies, similar to how GV1 and GV2 had their own takes on it. Was part of a design referencing Cupid's arrows, as well as Melting Love from Lobotomy Corporation. This early design had a Lovers tarot motif instead of the Hermit like Serpentine's final design.
"Diamond"?	Grazie (early design)
Wielded diamond weapons. Powered up state was named "Extraordinary Brilliant Armor Form". Male design, unlike Grazie in the final version.
"Earth's energy"	Grazie (early design)
Used the earth's energy to enhance his strength, solidify into green fists, and fire beams. Also male.

There are additional early concepts such as Carrera with nuclear power and punches that produced small mushroom clouds, and Jota with yellow electricity, but in the Official Complete Works these are all grouped together with various one-off designs under the category "Other" instead of on the individual concept art pages for the characters, and had a very different artstyle, so it's unclear whether or not the Azure Striker Gunvolt worldview with Adepts and Septimas was firmly established yet.