Noyamano Ringo
Ringo Noyamano (野山野 林檎, Noyamano Ringo?) is the female protagonist and Ikki's childhood friend and a member of the Noyamano family that adopted Ikki into their household. However, behind her seemingly plain and unimpressive guise of a junior high school student, she is actually the successor and leader of the legendary team, Sleeping Forest. She is the current Thorn Queen of the eight 'Kings' in the AT world. She helps Kogarasumaru in times of trouble, under the guise of Croissant Mask (Croissant Kamen), "Kogarasumaru's No. 1 Supporter", though Agito and Simca knows who it is. She has since passed this role onto Sumeragi Kururu. Ringo is a King Class AT Rider, wielding the techniques of Sonia Road; meaning she, using hyperventilation to fill her joints with air bubbles, employs superhuman agility while riding, at the price of suffering extreme pain while she does this.Ringo is in love with Ikki, a theme that has been used, profusely, for dramatic and comedic effect throughout the series. She kissed him after the Wind King Versus Thorn Queen fight, which she initiated to stop his ascension into Kingship, once Genesis offered to be Kogarasumaru's underlings, which would effectively make Kogarasumaru and Sleeping Forest mortal enemies. Later, she confesses to him (in disguise, as Croissant Mask). Ikki has shown some reaction to these last two, though whether the attraction has become mutual or not is debatable.
At the beginning, Ringo is depicted as Ikki's foster sister, although it is hinted that from a young age she has had and continues to have a strong attraction to him. She witnesses his introduction to the AT world when he is beaten up and humiliated by a Storm Rider. She then reveals herself to Ikki as a Storm Rider, as well as a member of Sleeping Forest, a legendary Storm Rider team. She lends Ikki his first pair of ATs, helps him gain his revenge, and afterward teaches him the fundamentals of AT use. However, she discourages him from disclosing the existence of Sleeping Forest and her membership in it, even as she oversees the formation of his own team, Kogarasumaru.
Ringo continues to support Ikki and Kogarasumaru as in a short time, they battle their way to becoming one of the most notorious and formidable teams. Although her support is mostly in the way of advice, she occasionally lends her direct efforts under the guise of Croissant Mask, though her need for an alter-ego is not immediately clear. Through Kogarasumaru's battles, it is eventually revealed that Ringo is actually the Thorn Queen, legitimate successor and leader of Sleeping Forest, and therefore a powerful Storm Rider involved with some of the greatest mysteries of the AT world.
Her position puts her at odds with Ikki when Genesis, a rival team led by migratory bird Simca and determined to overthrow Sleeping Forest, subordinates itself under Kogarasumaru's leadership. However, Ringo continues to support Ikki. When Trident, one of Genesis' sub-teams, challenges Ikki with the Devil's 33 jump, Ringo places herself at the goal point in lieu of thirty-three actual people lying side-by-side. During this trial, it is revealed that as children, her wish to see their parents encourages Ikki to climb Tokyo Tower, where he is introduced to the sky. It is from that point Ringo draws her belief in Ikki's ability to truly fly and is inspired to find a way to fly along with him.
Ultimately, Ringo's position in Sleeping Forest can no longer be ignored. As the time draws closer to the opening of Trophaeum Tower, Sleeping Forest begins targeting all major teams and riders capable of challenging them. Among the victims is Simca, who is attacked and temporarily crippled under Ringo's orders. When Ikki discovers Ringo's role in incapacitating Simca, he considers her a traitor and runs from her. Realizing she has no other method of showing Ikki her and Sleeping Forest's true intentions, Ringo challenges Ikki to a one-on-one Dash-Type Battle. To this end, she is willing to bar his way to Kingship, going so far as to brutally attack him. Her superior experience overwhelms Ikki during the earlier stages of the battle, but Kururu Sumeragi saves him with a mid-air installation of counterfeit Bagram prototype cores. Even using faulty Regalia, Ikki is able to match Ringo's strength. The climax of the battle occurs when Ikki uses the Wind Regalia's Infinity Atmosphere, threatening to kill Ringo with debris driven by high-speed winds. Although she considers letting herself be killed to stop the never-ending battles, Ringo ultimately uses her Infinity Atmosphere to shred apart Ikki's, preventing him from becoming overtaken by the Regalia's deadly power. The battle eventually ends when an exhausted Ringo collapses a few feet from the finish line. Ikki, finally understanding her feelings, decides to make the match a draw by carrying Ringo to the finish line. Afterwards, Ikki leaves the Noyamano residence and Ringo kisses him goodbye (though she slaps right afterward).
Now fully realized as the Wind King and Genesis' leader, Ikki is taken into the Trophaeum Tower to meet Sleeping Forest and its true commander, Kilik. Kilik reveals to Ikki the history of the Trophaeum Tower and its connection to the Gravity Children, of whom Ringo (and sisters Ume and Mikan) is part of a later generation. Ringo, Ume, and Mikan were as children given to Rika, who shortly afterward takes in Ikki. Kilik also reveals why Ringo is considered leader of Sleeping Forest. The final battle of the Gram Scale Tournament takes place in a descending shaft inside the Trophaeum Tower, thereby becoming an enormously pressurized environment. This pressure overwhelms most people, but Ringo's specific capabilities as Thorn Queen makes such an environment her ideal battleground.
Kilik's intent in bringing Ikki inside the Trophaeum Tower is to test his worthiness of attaining the Sky Regalia. However, Takeuchi Sora then reveals himself as the real leader of Genesis, having just stolen the Wind Regalia. This betrayal emotionally traumatizes Ikki, who had come to see Sora as an older brother figure. Ringo is helpless to comfort Ikki and afterward her primary duties to Sleeping Forest prevents her from helping Ikki outright any longer. Even so, she continues to support Kogarasumaru indirectly. When Hako and Pyon attempt to attack Kururu, Ringo brings in Tool Toul To to defend her while Ringo fights off Pyon herself. Ringo also uses her Croissant Mask guise to offer Kogarasumaru an alternative method for entering the Grand Scale tournament when they are disqualified. Ringo again uses her Croissant Mask guise to help Kururu steal specific metals needed to create Ikki's Storm Regalia.
At the beginning of the Grand Scale tournament, Ringo appears to Kogarasumaru to tell them that Sleeping Forest and Genesis will be battling in the first round. Before she leaves for that battle, Ringo (in the guise of Croissant Mask) tells Ikki she loves him and tells Kururu to take her place as Kogarasumaru's number-one supporter.
Before the battle between Sleeping Forest and Genesis even begins, Sora reveals that he has taken Rika hostage to draw Sleeping Forest outside of the Tower, where they would have an advantage. Although Ringo is distressed for her sister, she is determined to stay in the Tower, even preventing Mikan from leaving. At the point where the two sisters are about to fight, Ikki calls in, having been told by Aeon Clock the situation. He makes a deal with Kilik: in return for Kilik's tactics for defeating Kogarasumaru's opponents, Sleipnir, Ikki and his team will go to save Rika so that Sleeping Forest can focus on battling Genesis.
Just after Kogarasumaru defeats Sleipnir and is on their way to save Rika, Kanon attacks Ringo in the Tower under the pretense of bringing her the new design of her Regalia. He drives her out the Tower, then reveals that his actions were commanded by Kilik, who encourages Ringo to do what she truly wants to do. Tool Toul To arrives, along with Benkei, Emily, and President Omaha, to ask for Ringo's help in their next plan: to board Genesis' ship, which houses the AT technology and resources necessary for them to complete the Storm Regalia. Ringo decides to follow them and en route she encounters and defeats Caesar, who is sent to prevent them.
Ringo is the current Thorn Queen of Sonia Road, having inherited the position from Rika. Her road focuses on agility and is considered the road with the highest maneuverability, a result from bubbles of nitrogen formed in her joints by pressure caused by hyperventilation. With Sonia Road, the center of movement is changed from the knees to the hips, which greatly increases flexibility and nimbleness. This aspect limits the Sonia Road to women, as only their hips are capable of enduring the Road's demands.
Ringo herself states that her tricks are not as powerful as the Fangs of Bloody Road, nor does she have enduring stamina. Fast, relentless attacks are thus key to her victories. Sonia Road is considered the opposite of Bloody Road; instead of tearing the opponent's body, Sonia Road tears the user's body, sacrificing it so that the Rider can attain higher flexibility.
[edit] Regalia
Ringo's regalia is not a true Regalia. It is a Subregalia called the Thorn Reaper, referring to its Infinity Atmosphere. When activated, the back wheels of her ATs turn into superconducting whips. Combined with the agility of her road, these whips can fire Thorns of wind at her enemies.
[edit] Tricks
Thorns - The signature trick of the Sonia Road. Thorns take the shape of long, thin rods of wind with pointed tips. Although Ringo doesn't consider them very powerful, she is capable of firing many of them very quickly, making them quite formidable.
Infinite Chain: Turquoise Sonia - Ringo's Infinity Atmosphere. To activate it, Ringo has to deactivate her Regalia briefly and let it charge. Once the charge is complete, she begins to rotate rapidly, firing Thorns indiscriminately and damaging herself as well as her opponent. While the trick's effects are not immediately clear, it was shown to be powerful enough to blow away the Wind Regalia's Infinity Atmosphere and inflict serious damage on the surroundings.
