Magecraft 101

Prologue

This story has been born from my desire to write something entirely unique and foreign to the fandom of Unordinary, whilst exploringing the possibilities of the setting of the webtoon Unordinary with the magic that is the Fate Franchise. Because of this, this story is an AU with its premise based on the Unordinary world with Fate elements.

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'Brilliant people shine more brightly than ordinary ones. They never regret or agonize over what they've done.' – Archer

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Prologue- Tragic Prelude

Wellston was on fire.

Not the high school, nor the many stores that had the cities name within their brand- that would be too logical, far too understandable.

Far too normal.

Thaumaturgy was not normal, the ability to create swords from Od and explosions from cheap gems was abnormal, but it worked with science- it works with logic. True Magic went beyond simple Thaumaturgy- it didn't work with logic, such a concept was a mere guideline, not the rule. It was like comparing a two-bit magician to a magus, one uses misdirection to entertain whilst the other created something from equivalent exchange, either an object, parts of the body (like bone marrow), or magical energy known as prana.

Now put Thaumaturgy in the place of that very two-bit magician, which was so far below it in power and potential, and put True Magic in the place of the magus. There was no comparison, in a fight against Thaumaturgy and True Magic, it was like comparing who would win in a fight between a pit bull and a kitten that had been staying still in the rain for several hours. That was John's challenge, the obstacle that had turned Wellston to ash with just a wave of the hands- True Magic needed no chant, another difference between the two mysteries. Just creating a sword with his second-rate magic couldn't sever a power that played with reality.

He was outmatched and outgunned by both the authorities who carved control and the woman who now possessed godlike abilities. All that she had done was kill six other magus and their servants, having won the holy grail war in around three days and wished to visit the Root(1) and gain true magic. Such a magus- no, that term no longer fit such a powerful being, such a magician(2) floated just five metres away. Flying with Thaumaturgy, whilst possible could kill just about magi that tried, but with True Magic, it was like swapping money in exchange for an apple.

It was that simple.

Thaumaturgy had many rules, which had to be followed for the required spell to be achieved, such as what was possible and equivalent exchanged, but even second-rate magic had its uses. John's body had been burnt during the first onslaught of True Magic, which had killed just about everyone in Wellston and rendered the city as a literal hell. With a shaky grasp, he crushed a clouded gem that was about as cheap as a necklace that could be brought at a farmers' market. Within seconds, John's second-degree burns were healed- Jewel Magecraft was time-consuming to prepare but the effect were worth it. The effect of it had saved his life.

John may have a healed body and his fairly high-quality magic circuits, but even John, a first-rate magus, couldn't confront a god on even terms. He would most definitely be able to before she attained the Grail and thus the Root and True Magic along with it, but now? Impossible. Thaumaturgy cannot face the impossible- it could not face True Magic.

She had succeeded, she had won.

That left a sour taste in John's mouth, and the fury within his heart could not accept such a fact and blue lines of magic circuits glowed upon his skin. He moved, Od enhancing his muscles and bone, making him much more durable than the squishy human of blood and flesh that he was and his mouth opened, a familiar incantation left his mouth. His left arm began to crackle with blue energy, like lightning- that was Od, the magical energy within a living.