Howard Link

"If people can, just with their hearts, choose whatever future they wish, what is the source that gives them power - I want to know what it is."

- Link to Kanda about his true feelings.

Howard Link is a subordinate of Central Inspector Malcolm C. Lvellie. A former member of CROW, he was assigned to act as Allen Walker's observer/guardian after Allen fell under suspicion for being connected to the Fourteenth Noah. After a nearly fatal confrontation with Apocryphos, Link is currently tasked with following the on-the-run Allen and remained hidden until being noticed by Yu Kanda.

Appearance
Link is a young man of average height for his age. He has long, blond hair he typically wears back in a plait or ponytail that goes down to his midback and dark eyes. He also sports bangs, which originally curved upwards on his brow in a bowl-type fashion, though he has since grown them out long enough for them to bear a natural part, which reveals the two, vertical dots he has on his forehead; these dots seem to be typical of certain members of CROW. His eyebrows are oddly forked towards the ends, with the upper ends curving up towards his hairline and the lower ends following the curve of his eyelids downwards.

Link is typically seen in a formal, double-breasted suit with a matching dress shirt and waistcoat, along with a simple necktie-like ribbon around his neck that is clasped in place with a pin that bears the emblem of Central. Two switchblade-like knives are concealed underneath the cuffs of his sleeves, and when extended the serrated blades jut out well beyond the upper side of his fist. Link will also, on occasion, wear glasses, usually while doing paperwork.

After his brief fight against Apocryphos, Link gained a small x-shape scar on his chest.

Personality
Link is a very sober, strict young man with an affinity for rules and paperwork. He seems to idolize his superior, Malcolm C. Lvellie, and thinks so highly of him he picked up on the man's hobby of making assorted sweets and pastries. Link even owns his own copy of Lvellie's anthology on sweets. Despite his tendency to agree with and support his superior's decisions, Link is nowhere near as harsh as Lvellie is, showing a passive concern for those around him that gradually strengthens during the attack on the North American Branch until he became openly shocked upon learning the full conclusion of the events upon returning to the European Branch Headquarters for questioning. Though he was assigned to be Allen Walker's observer with negative connotations, Link has slowly become more dedicated and driven in his attempts to keep the Fourteenth Noah within Allen suppressed not in an effort to subdue Allen, but to protect him.

Link's position between his mission given par Malcolm C.Lvellie and his feelings toward the comrades he made led him to become conflicted.

Link dislikes hurting other people and seing them hurt. He was noted to dislike murder, torture and assassination.

Invasion of the Black Order arc

 * Education: 5
 * Affinity: 3
 * Work Ability: 4
 * Mental: 3
 * Flexibility: 2
 * Work: 5

Searching for Allen Walker arc

 * Howard Link
 * Sophistication: 5
 * Humanity: 3
 * Combat Ability: 5
 * Mental: 5
 * Flexibility: 2
 * Surveillance: 5

History
Link lost his parents when he was a child, as an orphan wandering around the streets he met Madarao, Tewaku, Tokusa, Kiredori and Goushi - they quickly formed a small group and near at the churches together - from which they had been picked up by the central and trained as CROW

Link was a part of the special combat division of Central's execution squad referred to as CROW, whose members are said to be trained from a young age. At some point Howard Link became an inspector and was sent to Headquarters, although he appears to be more of Lvellie's administrative assistant.

Invasion of Headquarters arc
Link is first introduced assisting Malcolm C. Lvellie at meeting with Generals and Branch Heads as he briefly presents collected data about both Cross Marian and Allen Walker cases. At the end of said meeting he’s assigned to keep an 24/7 surveillance on Allen After the meeting he introduce himself to Allen and presents him a pumpkin pie which Allen happily accepts. He forces the young exorcist to fill out an enormous stack of documents, and after convincing Walker that the library would be more suitable for this task than the cafeteria, they both take their leave. On their way to the library, after confrontation with Cross Marian, Link forcefully questions his charge about coded language which the song Allen had played in the Ark’s piano room was written. Allen hesitates to answer and suddenly outbursts about the reflection of the 14th on the window’s surface. Link takes it as a way to avoid the original topic. Link takes his job really seriously and literally follows Allen everywhere. After meeting Lavi in the bathroom, he received a nickname Two-spots. This lack of respect, Link interprets with his lack of authority, which is (by his judgement) caused by his short height. Link's relationship with Allen is a bit strained at times, but they appear to get along well and don't bicker with one another much. Link tends to point out Allen’s eating habits which results in Allen counter attacking the accusations (by telling inspector that he eats nothing but cakes). Link explains that he’s an adult and his eating habits are his own business. During the meal Lulu Bell attacks the science division to retake the Egg. Allen's cursed eye informs his host about the akuma within the headquarters – Allen drops his meal and dashes to help Link, following him. After Bookman and Allen attempt to take the barrier erected by Lulu Bell down, Link suggests they use the Ark to get inside the barrier. After reaching the battlefield he contacts Malcolm C. Lvellie and apologizes for unauthorized usage of the ark. Lvellie, after confirmation of the destroying of the Egg, gives Link a mission to recover as many fragments of the Egg's shell as possible, and if possible, to protect Allen Walker. Link finds an unconscious Allen and saves him from metal pipes by cutting them with his switch-blades. and tends Allen’s wounds After victory over a level 4 akuma, he carries Allen to the infirmary. During Allen’s stay in the hospital, Link meets Lvellie to give him the collected fragments of the Egg and bids farewell to him by saluting him as he departs.

Destruction of the Black Order arc
When things in the Order quieted down, the move from the destroyed headqaurters was made. Everyone was instructed to help with the move to the new headquarters. The science division was difficult to move die to the copious amounts of potions with varying, unknown effects. After the black out and Head nurse’s biting Miranda, Link is forced to retreat with the other survivors into safe hiding. As he writes a report about the situation at hand, a new Komurin eats his report in order to ‘destroy evidence’. Not too long after, the group of survivors are attacked by those infected with Komuvitan D Generals. Link is bitten by General Froi Tiedoll, who, due the fogged glasses, mistakes him for Kanda. As the virus is spread across his body, Link mumbles that this situation won’t go unnoticed to which Komui is willing to smack Inspector with hammer believing that it would make Link forget and not report anything to secretary Malcolm C. Lvellie. Bak Chang then creates a cure, "saving" all those that were infected.

Disappearance of Cross Marian arc
Link, alongside Allen Walker, Yu Kanda and Miranda Lotto, is send on a mission to one of London’s graveyards to retrieve Innocence from a chess champion. In order to get the Innocence, the match of chess has to be won. Howard, the only person who had yet to play (and lose), is forced to play chess under distracting conditions, su h as exorcists fight akuma, as well as people attempting to rush him. After winning the game the Innocence fragment is safely taken and the whole team head back to the headquarters.

After Malcolm C. Lvellie comes to the Black Order to investigate the disappearance of Cross Marian, Link accidentally meets his superior as he follows Allen to the room in which Cross had last been seen. After a brief conversation, Walker leaves enraged, leaving Lvellie and Link alone in the room. Lvellie admits that the ambush was schemed by someone else from within the Black Order, a person whom he doesn’t know. Link, worried about his boss' safety, asks if he could escort him back to the Vatican, which Lvellie declines, saying that Link is more needed as Walker’s watcher.

Phantom Thief G arc
After getting strange reports from Finder's about mysterious thieveries, the Black Order sends Noise Marie, Yu Kanda, Allen Walker and Link to Paris to investigate. After meeting with inspector Galmar, two Finder's, and the Black Order’s scientists, the team decide to catch Thief G, and, if he turns out to be an Innocence user, persuade him join the Order.

As the team splits up, as a part of a trap, Allen is left alone with Link. They both listen again to Cross Marian’s last will while eating donuts. When Thief G runs away - with a very valuable crown as a trophy - from Glamar’s failed trap, he first runs into Kanda who quickly defeats him. After other failed attempts of escape, G possesses Link and uses all his hidden weapons and spells with ease. But after throwing Thief G off balance, with Kanda’s force, he starts to lose his self-assurance. At the end, after being stabbed with Allen’s innocence, he, petrified, accuses Allen of murdering him and leaves Link’s body, wailing hysterically. After regaining consciousness Link is both annoyed and unimpressed about what had been done to him due to his sword still stuck within his body. Meanwhile, Noise Marie listens to the whole situation to remember Thief G’s voice and tries to confirm his current whereabouts.

The next day, Marie leads them to Hearst orphanage – right before the door was to be opened, a small kid – Timothy - is kicked thought it, subsequently crashing into Allen. Link approaches both Timothy and Allen to examine them for possible wounds. Only minor bleeding is found on Walker’s head, to which, surprisingly, Allen starts to wail hysterically. Link tries to calm down the exorcist, but it’s revealed that Timothy has accidentally possessed Allen Walker. During the conversation with Mother Superior, the Orphanage ends up under attack by akuma that had been lying in weight. He helps children escape from a level 4 to the safer side of the building. When Walker says he will open the gate for all them to escape, Link refutes the idea. When it’s revealed that the Gate can not be opened, he, Emilia Galmar and Timothy, headed in the direction of Mother Superior, who was with the rest of the children. They are found later – all turned into dolls. The only survivor is a nun who was reveled to be an Akuma in disguise. She separates Timothy from Link and Emilia, and starts to shoot at them. Link manages to dodge just in time, but Emilia ends up being shot. Link recognizes a Broker as the false nun, but before he is able to do anything she, too, turned into doll and killed by an akuma. The unfortunate position forces Link to take risky actions, attacking the level 2 on his own. But even with the use of spells, he was not able to do anything to the akuma and he, too, turned into a doll.

After Timothy destroyed the Level 2 Akuma that had transformed him, Link, returns to his human form and helps to ward off the level 3 Akuma, but since his body hasn’t yet returned to normal he has problems with keeping the akuma at bay until a member of Crow, Madarao, appears, defeating the Level 3, leaving the Level 4 to Allen and Kanda. Link expresses shock and confusion when witnessing Madarao's abilities, showing that he had no idea that Crow members were capable of such feats. As they are both released from the infirmary, Allen watches from the window as Timothy acts with Mother Superior and compares their relationship to his and Mana’s. As Link comments about this unexpected statement, Allen admits that he got so used to him that he treats him more or less like furniture which makes Link offended.

Third Exorcist Arc
Upon returning to Headquarters, Link returns to his duty of shadowing Allen even when he is hindered by Lenalee falling asleep on his bed next to the recovering Allen. He claims that he was being a gentleman and didn't wish to walk in on a young lady in such a compromising position. When Allen shuts him out to try to speak in private with Lenalee, Link threatens to tell Komui that the two are alone behind a locked door - prompting Allen to quickly let him in. Even during Allen’s training with Marie Link keeps an eye on him (with sleeping Timcanpy on his head). When Goushi hurls Allen onto the pillar Link quickly interferes.

During the mission in Jordan Link gets separated from the rest of the team. He tries to contact Allen, Madarao and Tokusa via communicator but it seems that he’s out of reach. As he returns to the camp it’s obvious that it has been destroyed by akumas with Tewaku as the only survivor. After telling Link about her vision (which included Allen killing Madarao and Tokusa and her killing Allen) inspector decides to temporarily supervise her – since her statement might have important role for his mission.

Link and Tewaku are later seen forcing their way to the North American branch to take down the barrier erected around the place during the ambush of level 4 akumas Tewaku’s akuma cells start to respond upon Alma Karma's turning. Link tries his best to both hinder a swarm of level 4 akumas and prevent Tewaku of turning into a monster. After long struggle Timcampy starts to grow into enormous size and emits bright light – this both blinds akumas and breaks the barrier surrounding North American Branch. After Alma's self-destruction Tewaku looses her consciousness. After sealing Tewaku with CROW's binding technique Link hurries to the North American branch to stop Allen Walker from supposed killing his fellow CROW comrades - after arriving Link seals Allen and forces him to reverse his Innocence activation with which Walker was helping Tokusa by suppressing Alma Karma's cells within his body

Link notes the cold and violent aura seeping from Allen, which means that the 14-th within him already awakened. When Allen tries to explain his actions, Lvelle tells Link not to listen to him, as he's out of control. Also, he orders Link to restrain Allen and his Innocence and force him to open the Arc Gate to Alma's location. Link hesitates, but Tewaku gets back to her senses and tries to attack Allen for the supposed murder of her comrades. Although Link was unable to stop her, Allen is protected by Timcampy. Transformed Tokusa is going to attack Link, but The Earl takes him away with his own Arc. Tewaku is taken as well, despite Link's attemp to save her. The Earl and Noah Family leave soon afterwards, with Link listening to their final words along with others. After unsuccessful mission he's still involved with interrogation imprisoned Allen, but young exorcist was refusing to neither speak about the 14th nor the location of Second Exorcists Allen also refused to eat - due the fear of slipping him truth serum into his meals During the mission briefing Link recognize the Cardinal and is visibly shocked upon seeing him.

Seed of Destruction arc
After the meeting Link paid a visit to Allen with a dish secretly prepared by Jerry. Link revealed his past as an orphan and his first meeting with the future third exorcists, He also admitted that he feels both guilty and responsible for creating the Third Exorcists program - as the one who collected the egg pieces.

When Allen admitted the will of the 14th is overwhelming him, and almost immediately begins to change into a Noah, Link tries to help him snap out of it - but is unsuccessful. As Allen is trashing on the floor of his cell a Cardinal appears claiming that he is able to help Allen. Link worried about his charge tries to bind the cardinal with CROW spells but is unsuccessful. The Inspector is easily knocked down and has his memories erased. It turns out that the "Cardinal" is actually a living Innocence called Apocryphos who is sent by the "Heart" to absorb Allen and destroy the 14th's memories.

However, after the Noah Tyki Mikki and Road Kamelot appeared into the cell to save Allen (with the help of the now brainwashed Third Exorcists), Link manages to recover with his memories intact (surprising Apocryphos) to fight against Apocryphos's power long enough to bind the Innocence with spells and remove the seal that holds Timcanpy, allowing the gigantic golem to take Allen and the Noah's out of the building. After that, Link finally collapsed, with his memories about the events erased. Apocryphos comments he must keep an eye in the supervisor, because he appears to be more powerful that he predicted.

To get rid of witness Apocryphos gravely wounds Link by piercing ex-CROWS chest with his right hand. As Link bleeds to death, Malcolm C. Lvellie tries to contact him - as the inspector doesn't respond to his superior, Lvellie dashes to the crime scene - just to find his assistant lying in the pool of blood. In a flash Zu Mei Chang rushes to Lvellie's side. After noticing that Link is still alive he tries to stop the bleeding.

Lvellie seems to be horrified by his assistant's struggle to voice out the truth. The older man closes the doors of a cell (assuring formed crowds before the cell that Link is dead) to have a private conversion with Zu. Zu is shocked when Lvellie kneels down and begs him to save Link with his powers - he reveals that he needs Link in order to save both Allen and the 14th.

Three months later, Lvellie is shown standing in front of his grave. The official version of the Inspector's death states that he was killed by Allen Walker's hand.

Searching for A.W. arc
20 days after his fight with Apocryphos, Link awakened in Zu's house having recovered from his injuries. While getting up from Zu telling him to put some clothes on, he notices a small x-shape scare on his chest. He touches it and sees a type of illusion pop out. Zu explains that he used his life force to save him under Lvellie's order, however, Zu used the last of his life force doing so and explains that using Atuuda now as the last life he could save means that Link now has been given the use of Atuuda now. Zu states that he's going to die and tries to tell Link about something about trying to save him but ended up turning him into the 14th, but Lvellie walks in. After informing Lvellie he's fine, he gains all his old gear and informs him of how he tried to stop the Noah, but Allen escaped. He doesn't seem to remember seeing Apocryphos and is informed that nobody knows that he's alive and that his funeral has already been given. Lvellie tells him that Allen must have gone off to try to control the 14th on his own and orders to find Allen and protect the 14th.

Eventually, Link was found by Kanda, who, along with Johnny, had tracked Allen down, to be tailing Allen. Link admits his surprise that Kanda is alive, claiming that he wasn't sure he'd ever see him again. He tells Kanda that he didn't die, but ran away since he is a Crow and is the same as Allen, someone on the run. Kanda doesn't believe him and threatens to kill him if he tries to do anything to Allen, stating he'll kill Allen himself. Link says he wants to save someone, if Allen can win against the host, he wants to see it happen. Kanda decides to trust him and leaves but Link warns him about what he's doing knowing he's trying to atone for what he did to Allen and he should fufill his role and duty as an exorcist before he becomes a Fallen One and the two leave.

The next day, while in the crowd Link sees the Cardinal (who is really Apocryphos) walk away after taking out Kanda in an ally while other citizens witness the struggle and Link runs noting Kanda was taken out so easily and that the Cardinal is no ordinary human. He tries to figure out how Central has such a monster in the Order and that the Cardinals are the backbone of the Order and, recalling Lvellie's statement of others after the 14th Noah, wonders if the Cardinal wants him and wonders what happened to the Central they used to believe in.

Later, Link jumps in from the roof to incapacitate several Finders from the Black Order, picking up captured golem of Johny and noting that it'd be pretty hard for both the latter and Allen to escape from the encirclement because of their handcuffs and Apocryphos tracking them as well. Link feels he trembles with a mere thought of this man, touching the scar left by him on his chest and summoning Atuuda afterwards. Then, Link recalls Lvellie's words about the 14-th's special role and wonders what kind of power the Noah must wield to draw everyone into the whirpool called "the 14-th" as madmen. Link thinks about Zu Mei Chang and realises he's still conflicted, since he prays for Allen to overcome his fate within his heart, but must use his hands to aid the 14-th.

When the Earl of Millenuim tries to absorb Allen (or rather Nea in control of his body now), Link appears just in time to seal his attack and use the binding spells to restrain him. Straight away, he uses the spells to get Allen (Nea) and Johny out of the scene, bringing them onto the roof of the nearby building. Link appologises to Nea for the roughness and says that he can't hold off the Earl for long, so they should run as far as possible, with the pursuers of the Order on their way too. When Nea pretends to be Allen and voices his relief about Link still alive, the latter takes a close look on his wounds got from the Earl and notices he lost a lot of blood, which prompts him to quickly summon Atuuda and heal Nea's injury. Then Link asks Nea to stop posing like Allen, and although Nea still claims he's really Allen, Link mentions the cold murderous aura he feels from of Nea, which is completely different from the Allen he knew, directly calling him the 14-th. At last, Nea throws out his disguise and calls Link a sharp human, though warning Link about his intent to kill him right away as a nuisance. Also, Nea assures Link that if he came to save Allen, it's a little too late. However, Link catches Nea by surprise announcing that Lvellie made a secret pact with Cross and sent him here to protect the 14-th. Link claims himself to be an ally of the new 14-th and asks him to use his life as he wishes, which causes Nea to call him "scary".

Link didn't expect something like this and wonders if the 14-th, the one who died 35 years ago but used an another person to make it into the present day, should be concidered vastly scarier. Nea is enraged by this comment and grabs Link by his troat, convincing him that a person coming out of nowhere and asking to use their life is scary anyway. Nea also comments that despite his nescience about the relationship between Link and Cross, he still hates humans in this world the most. When Link asks if Cross isn't a human, Nea angrily replies he had no choice in that matter. Nea is sure he has no need for Link, since his Timcanpy is more than enough. Link argues that Nea could really need him because Apocryphos is still chasing him and already destroyed Timcanpy, which visibly shocks Nea. Before they could talk further, Link is assaulted by Feedler, who demands to release the Millenium Earl from the binding spell. Link clashes with him and manages to repel the attack with the Flame Wings, knocking Nea off his feet. While Feedler keeps on with his demands, Link responds that the Earl was already released just with this blow.

Howard decides to fight back. He throws scrolls that wrap around Feedler. He uses two spells to restrain Feedler and shock him. At this moment Feedler shouts to stop as he only attacked him into releasing the earl and nothing else. Link is surprised by the extreme carefreeness of the Noah. However Link is suddenly startled by what happens behind him: Nea is trying to activate the innocence. Link is shocked by such a reckless behavious and pleads him to stop what he is doing. Nea ignores him so Link prepares to forcefully stop him with his feathers. At this moment Link witnesses Nea's mind fading away and Allen's body falling. Link is shocked but can't catch him up before Johnny Gill jumps to save Allen. Fortunately Allen recovers his body and uses his innocence to land safely. From the roof, Link watches silenciously.

Abilities and Skills
Physical Prowess: Link is easily one of the strongest non-Exorcist/Noah humans that has been seen, having gone through intense training at Central to be a member of CROW, Central's personal battle corps. He has been shown standing off against Akuma and Exorcists alike, and once protected Allen from falling rubble despite being weakened by a Level 4. He is strong enough to kick a level 3 into a wall.

CROW Techniques: As a former member of CROW, Link is fully capable of using many, if not all, of the defensive, offensive and binding spells known by members of CROW. Though Link rarely displays his magical inclinations, when Timothy Hearst used his body to fight, it was shown that Link is capable of fighting almost on par with both Allen and Kanda, and that he can use CROW spell strips to bind Exorcists of Kanda's caliber. Retractable Wrist Switchblades: Link wears a pair of serrated, retractable switchblades on his wrists, hidden beneath the cuffs of his sleeves. Though they are small, mainly for the purpose of keeping them concealed, the blades are sharp and durable, capable of cutting through even chunks of cement and stone.
 * Secret Art - Black-winged Flame Spirit (黒羽焔气, Kureha Nenki): The user clutches a spell strip with an explosive seal on it in their hand, empowering their arm and fist with explosive energy, then release it on the chosen target by punching, resulting in an eruption of flames.The Complete spell is supposed to banish the opponent. It has not been seen yet as Link had only time to perform the destructive part of the technique.[13]
 * Flame Wings (炎羽, En Ba): After covering the target in a multitude of destructive spell strips bearing the symbol for "flame", one or more CROW activate the strips, resulting in a flaming explosion
 * Protection Wing (衛羽, Mamori Bane): Spell strips bearing a defensive seal can be summoned to form a ring around an individual or group of people that can temporarily prevent anyone and/or anything from entering or leaving the circle.[17] The strips can also be stuck to solid surfaces so that the caster doesn't have to be present to keep the shield going. Link's is tough enough to hold a level 3 akuma while Link is partly transformed into a doll.[18]
 * Secret Spell - Binding Wings (縛羽, Shibari Bane): In the midst of battle, dozens of spell strips can be summoned and used to form a ring around the target that causes their body to feel heavy, and can also be commanded to lash out to further subdue the target.[15] The spell can also be used in a calmer setting with more precision, and can be used to bind an Exorcist's Innocence. After receiving Atuuda It has become powerful enough to restrain the Earl of Millennium himself. [16]
 * Restriction Wings (禁羽, Kinji Bane): Spell strips bearing a restraining seal form multi-layered barriers around the target.[19] Before the spell is activated, the perimeters of the strips can be disrupted fairly easily,[20] but once the spell is put into action, it lashes out violently with an electric attack that subdues the target. Link can also use this spell as a transportation technique to transport a person from a place to another.[21]

Atuuda (癒闇蛇, Yuyamihebi): A golem formerly belonging to Zu Mei Chang, that passed it to Link in order to save his life after his fight with Apocryphos. Atuuda is used by its summoner as a powerful healing agent. Using Link's own energy, Atuuda can heal the wounds of others, though the number of times it can be used is directly correlated to the users bodily condition and, thus, is limited if the user is physically weak. Link summons it by touching his cross-shaped scar on his chest.

Chess Master: Link was able to compete and even beat Martin a former chess champion at chess.

Major Battles

 * Howard Link (possessed by G) VS Allen Walker and Yuu Kanda
 * Howard Link VS Level 2
 * Howard Link Vs Tewaku and Akumas
 * Howard Link VS Apocryphos
 * Howard Link VS The Earl of Millenium
 * Howard Link VS Fiidora

Relationships
Madarao:

Tewaku: Link views Tewaku as a younger sister.

Goushi:

Kiredori:

Trivia

 * Link enjoys making sweets, reading, chess. He likes memorizing things,Lvellie's homemade sweets, children and rules and dislikes jokes and a lazy life.
 * On the right corner of one of Hoshino's sketches can be seen Howard Link, Madarao, Tewaku and Tokusa in their younger age on which young Link is portrait not only with dots on his forehead but also with the same facials marks under his eyes like the Third Exorcists have.
 * Link appeared only once in the anime's post credit omake.
 * For Katsura Hoshino, Howard's image-color is navy gold. His hair has somewhat turned into his image-color.

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Howard Link