Magic

Magic (魔法) is the supernatural ability to affect the world present everywhere in Halkeginia, innate in humans and Firstborn races such as the elves, the power source of magical items, and one of the driving forces of nature.

Description

Human Magic

Systemic Magic (系統魔) is the formal name for the form of magic used primarily by humans. It centers around the four great elements of magic (魔法の四大), which corresponds to the four classical elements: fire, earth, wind, and water. In Brimiric theology, as outlined in the preface of the Founder's Prayer Book, all substance in the world is comprised of fine "grains", grains smaller than water drops or sand grains, and systemic magic interferes, controls, and influences these grains, which forms the four great elements and creates their spells.

When humans use systemic magic, their spells are the result of using their individual will, their willpower, to change the "logic" of the world, likely because human magic originates in their brains. Willpower is consumed when magic is cast, and can result in fainting if someone has too little willpower for a specific spell. The mage has a "finite pool" of willpower, that is related to emotions and can be recharged by strong emotions, though it is usually recovered by rest and sleep.

Because of the above, systemic magic is based on affinities to which elements individual mages have and can naturally cast. They are unique for everyone, with little genetic influence. Mages are divided into ranks depending on how many elements they can combine. A mage who can use only one element is a Dot, one who can use two is a Line, three is a Triangle, and four is a Square. Even if you can only wield one element, if you can stack it twice, you are Line mage, three time a Triangle mage and so on. A spell that costs a certain amount of willpower to cast will cost half of it to cast after the mage "levels up" and unlocks the ability to use the next class of magic. Spells are also applied to the classes: for example, spells using three elements are called 'Triangle spells'. Each time the spell's class rises, the consumption of willpower doubles. Low class Dot spells can be chanted many times, while the high class spells can be chanted a few times because of their high consumption. A Dot spell can, in theory, be casted by any mage, regardless of affinity, such as the Ondine Knights all casting Dot-level alchemy when trying to dig into the girls' baths or Tabitha as a Wind mage using Dot-class Earth alchemy.

Henrietta and Wales making an Hexagonal spell.

'Pentagon' class spells not exist, a mage at the maximum can only chain four elements to make a spell. There are however some exceptions: there is a special technique only taught to Royal magic users which approximates to an Hexagon Spell (ヘクサゴン・スペル), best seen when Princess Henrietta and the undead Prince Wales combined their spells of Wind-Wind-Wind and Water-Water-Water to fight Saito. 'Hexagon' is a misnomer, since it's a combination of two Triangle spells to create a upper-tier Square spell. It is also later shown that the Church Knights of Romalia can also recreate something like the feats of Hexagon spells, gained through many years of training, known as Hymnal Aria (賛美歌詠唱), from how they sing their spells like they would sing hymns. This results in a spell that basically combines the collective magical might of those involved into one whole. One Square-class attack is enough to negate their combined spell.

There also exist what are called common magic (コモン・マジック) spells, that every mage regardless of affinity can use. This includes the simple Lock spell as well as the Summoning spell.

Void

Main article: Void

Void is the fifth, "lost", element. If systemic magic is controlling the fine grains making up the world, Void magic is described as controlling the even finer grains these grains are comprised of.

Void magic does not have the classification system of systemic magic (no Dot/Line/Triangle/Square nor four elements). Unlike it, those who possess the Void all have a part of the same system they specialize in. For example, Louise de La Vallière is 'Attack', Vittorio Serevare is 'Movement', and Tiffania Westwood is 'Forget'.

Spectacular Void spells rapidly consume a mage's willpower.

Firstborn Magic

Firstborn Magic (先住魔法), called Spirit Magic (精霊の力) by some of the Firstborn like the Winged People, is the name given by humans to the magic practiced by elves and other nonhuman races of Halkeginia. Firstborn Magic existed long before the magic elements were created; it is magic that controls the 'power of life', the power of nature which exists everywhere. Life force, wind, fire, water, every possible energy source, unlike systemic magic which is limited to four-five specific elements. Because unlike human magic which changes the logic of the world according to the power of each individual's will, Firstborn Magic runs alongside the 'logic', which is why it is generally stronger than human magic for relying on nature rather than individual will.

This involves making contracts with spirits and/or spirit power of the land into providing them with power. Because it requires the power of spirits, one of its drawbacks is that it cannot be used everywhere.

It is later revealed that most Elves prefer not to fly on dragons since it is harder to call upon the spirits of the land to help them when they are up in the air and have distance between them and the earth. However, considering the elven military prefer to only use magic as the last resort, the elven air force have dragon riders and airships of their own despite the weaker magic potential in the air, and they pride themselves on being 'dragons in elves' form' of the sky.

Elves can perform feats such as manipulating forces of nature like lightning and plants, but cannot perform alchemy/transmutation. Other spells include sleep inducing fog and a barrier that can reflect attacks. It can be chanted without the use of a magical tool like wand, unlike human magic.

Humans categorically cannot use Firstborn Magic. However, some humans are capable of using 'Firstborn Magic', as demonstrated by the Elemental Siblings, who underwent extensive modifications to their bodies in order to be able to tap into spirit power.

A special case of elven magic is the charging of the "firestones" with energy. The heat energy of fire is stored in a gemstone and can be released later in one fell swoop. The effect is terrible and is equivalent to that of a small tactical atomic bomb. However, the elves find it difficult to release the energy - an extensive magical ritual is required for this. This process, or rather the attempt to do so, is done by the elven Steel Blood Party to destroy the city of Eumenes with all its inhabitants. It is much easier for "Void users" to crack the sealing of the enclosed energy. The "Explosion" spell destroys the jewel and releases the stored energy. This was demonstrated by the actions of the Gallic King Joseph, who destroyed entire air fleets.

History

Early humans at Brimir's time (around 6,240 years before Louise summoned Saito) can all use elemental magic, provided they have wands and know the incantation. This might only apply to Brimir's tribe though. The mages can use all four elements freely and can cast magic from as young as age 5. Though combining them into line/triangle/square class spells were still impossible to begin with, and multiple mages need to cast the same spell to make it more powerful.

At the time summoning rituals are not yet created, but binding a familiar to a mage is still possible as Brimir and Sasha demonstrated.

Contrary to current-day mages' indoctrination, the elemental magic did not come from Brimir's Void. Brimir's tribe had elemental magic before Brimir is born. Brimir stated himself his power is given from God, and he is to use it to defeat a then more-powerful and technologically-advanced race that threatened to drive humanity (and the elves) to extinction.

Magic has progressed from then by research and development, though the results are hardly ever used to increase the standard of living for 'commoners'; it is mostly for nobles and the military.

As Void Magic had lain dormant for almost 6,000 years, it had made no progress. Despite that, the familiar Mind of God is capable of combining Void magic with Firstborn Magic, and can perform magic feats beyond anything modern-day mages is capable of.

Not much is known about evolution of elven magic, except some techniques that are passed down from 6,000 years ago are known to most elves. One such technique is the forging of 'Sentient Blades', weapons that have their own will and possess special powers. Derflinger is one such 'Sentient Blade', forged by Sasha, and in Volume 19 when Saito and Tiffania are taken to the elven capital city a set of twin blades forged within the last few decades are used against Saito.

List of spells

Main article: Spells and Abilities

Trivia

The explanation of the "grains" that magic controls seem to imply that the four elements manipulate molecules and Void acts on atoms, or alternatively that the four branches act on atoms and Void acts on Protons, Electrons and Neutrons, or even quantum mechanics/sub-atomic particles. The text even directly states that the closest approximation to the Void is nuclear power. At the very least, Tiffania's Mind Wipe appears to act on neurons/neurotransmitters.