Sheila Grandsley

Sheila Grandsley (シーラ・グランズドリィ) is the adoptive mother of Lay Grandsley.

Appearance
She has the appearance of a young woman with short light-brown hair. Due to her spirit disease, she appeared transparent, but after being healed, she regained her regular appearance

Personality
Sheila is a kind and compassionate woman, who cares deeply about her family. After being abandoned by her father due to being a hybrid, she resolved to never let anyone experience such a thing, as she took in the disowned Lay after he was cast out by his family and raised him as if he was her own flesh and blood family.

History
Born as the child of a demon from the royal faction and a spirit mother, Sheila was abandoned by her father because of her mixed parentage, something that could tarnish his reputation due to the importance of blood purity to the royal faction. Because of this, she was unable to leave Lay, whom his family left to die in the streets. She took him home and gave him a meal to eat, incurring the fury of the Yesla family, who threatened her if she ever did it again. Nevertheless, Sheila didn't kick him out and the two of them moved to a city where they couldn't reach them.

She raised him like her own son despite having a weak constitution. Because she was a half-demon half-spirit, her magic power and root began weakening until she developed spirit disease, a condition that half-demons half-spirits face when their traditions and rumors become forgotten or cease to be known. The two visited many clinics until they arrived at the Lognorth Magic Hospital, which put her condition into remission, seemingly able to help her. However, in exchange for helping Sheila, Lay was forced to join the royal faction against Anos Voldigoad in the Demon Sword Tournament and let them implant a magical device inside his body.

Demon Sword Tournament Arc
When Anos and Misa visit the clinic, Sheila wakes up for the first time in a long time. Although she seemed to be comatose, she was actually conscious all this time and was able to recognize Anos from the stories Lay told her about. She tells him what she knew about her condition and what she overheard from the doctor, giving the boy a better understanding of her condition. Sheila didn't know how, but a bit of her power returned to her, waking her up. And she uses this chance to tell Anos about Lay and asks him to fight Lay with all he has.

After hearing her out, Anos invents a new magic to help Sheila, allowing Misa to change and transfer parts of her traditions to Sheila. At first, her condition got worse, as she couldn't speak anymore and her body began fading away; but she slowly recovered once the traditions settled in. When Lay returns to the clinic, Sheila is able to tell him to live freely and that she will always be by his side, before falling into a deep slumber and leaving Lay in tears.

After Anos and Lay foil his ambush in another dimension, Melheis reveals that he took Sheila hostage; and that by breaking several gems, he can end her existence as a spirit. However, both Anos and Lay tell Melheis that he can kill her, creating enough confusion for Lay to break into the dimension where she was held at. Melheis then fires Beno Ieven at Anos, and also toward Lay and his mom to force him to use additional magic power to protect the two. This causes Lay to ask Anos for a sword instead, which he uses to slash away the magic fired upon them, but no matter how much Lay cuts away, it keeps returning.

Lay, who was planning on giving up and entrusting his mom to Anos, is encouraged by Sheila to continue fighting. Sheila then uses all her remaining power to return to her true body, a powerful spirit sword. The two recall the time when Lay sliced a pot with a knife before Lay destroys Beno Ieven using his mother's sword, resulting in Sheila fading away as she tells him that she loves him.

Once the battle was over and they were back in the Arena, Anos reveals that Sheila's spirit disease was cured and he uses Ingall to resurrect her. A few minutes ago, Anos declared in his victory speech that the sword his dad forged using heart and hopes had the same strength as a Demon Sword. He deduced from everything that had happened so far that the rumors that formed Sheila's source were: something other than magic residing in a sword that was forged by a true craftsman. With his victory over Lay, people who were spectating the tournament across Dilhade started believing in this, which made Sheila's rumors well known. Sheila thanks Anos and reunites with Lay.

Abilities

 * Spirit Sword Form: Being a half-spirit, Sheila has a transient body and a much more powerful true body, which in her case is a spirit sword. The spirit sword is strong enough to cut Beno Ieven, the very same magic that split the world into four and slashes through the alternate dimension in Azesith.

Lay Glanzudlii
Because her own father abandoned her as well, Sheila couldn't bring herself to abandon Lay, who was just a child. She then raised him and treated him like her own son, to the point of wanting to die from her spirit disease instead of holding him down. She was overjoyed at being reunited with him after having her spirit disease healed, as she tenderly embraced him.

Anos Voldigoad
Sheila is grateful to Anos for being Lay's friend, as well as being the first person to push Lay to fight seriously, as she saw that Lay was desponded over the fact that he couldn't go all out in a fight due to his immense strength. After he helped heal her spirit disease, she thanked him, as she called him a good person.

Trivia

 * Sheila's true body resembles Anos' Adamantine Sword because the true body of a spirit embodies their rumors and traditions. In the minds of the audience, they had a clear image of a sword that was forged by a master craftsman not by using magic but by his heart. They were looking at Anos' sword so Sheila’s appearance became that of his sword.