Astolfo Granatum Husbando

Astolfo Granatum, formally known as Astolfo of Garnet is a recurring antagonist from Jun Mochizuki's The Case Study of Vanitas. He is a ruthless Chasseur working for the Catholic Church; however unlike previous Chasseurs, who are depicted as misguided or nihilistic, Astolfo holds an earnest hatred for Vampires, and is completely unwilling empathize with Noé despite the latter's constant efforts. Astolfo is a short, slender boy with fair skin and androgynous features. His face is round, with a small chin and nose, thin, arched eyebrows, and large, pink, upturned eyes with long eyelashes. Adding to his androgynous presentation is his hair, dark pink in color and very straight. Parted in the middle, his hairstyle is long for a boy's, cut straight just beyond his chin so as to cover his ears. Long bangs fall into the center of his face, but do not cover his eyes. He wears the standard chasseur's uniform, including black pants, a cassock, a pale harness, a ribbon-like belt, white lace-up boots, and a rosary. As accessories, he wears a pair of earrings which resemble vampire fangs. His hands are protected with fingerless gloves. Astolfo is the first of the chasseurs to be depicted as wholly malicious- he states outright that it is not the job of chasseurs to protect humans, but to kill vampires. He holds little regard for human life and takes apparent joy in causing harm to others, going out of his way to inflict unnecessary suffering on his victims. His temper is extremely quick, and he flies into a rage with little provocation. In particular, he hates being mistaken for a woman, being touched without consent, and being compared to Roland Fortis. Violent, obsessive, egocentric, and sadistic, Astolfo wishes wholeheartedly for the genocide of vampires, and is unwilling to hear words to the contrary. Despite Noé's initial attempts to negotiate with him, he soon realizes Astolfo does not care about the feelings or humanity of those around him. Nonetheless, Astolfo believes himself to be "justice"- he sees himself as a deserved punishment upon vampires, going so far as to name his weapon the Pillar of Justice, Louisette- "Louisette" being another name for "guillotine," the device famously used to execute King Louis XV. When Astolfo becomes determined to eliminate a target, he will pursue them to the point of self destruction, thoughtlessly overdosing on the chasseur's steroids in an attempt to kill Noé. Prior to his family's deaths, Astolfo was far more timid and empathetic. He showed kindness towards a wounded vampire boy, in spite of his Catholic upbringing. As a consequence, he blames himself for his family's demise. Though openly hateful towards Roland, he still appears to rely on him for comfort. Noé questions how much of Astolfo's genocidal passion is genuinely his own will, and how much was implanted in him by the Church. Small traces of Astolfo's gentle persona remains, despite being aloof towards even his comrades. He is shown to be particularly gentle and affectionate towards small children.