What is a Grand-rank?
The Grand-rank is the Clock Tower's highest tier, the pinnacle of evaluation, yet in today's Clock Tower, it's considered almost ceremonial due to its extreme rarity. Achieving it is so arduous that only a handful of magi attain it every few decades or centuries. A prime example is the Association's Aozaki Touko, renowned for two feats: reviving the lost art of Rune magecraft in the modern era and crafting puppets indistinguishable from human bodies.
Much like academia, the magical world is dominated by long-lived, entrenched traditionalists. To earn the highest honor, one must produce groundbreaking results that shake the magical community. Even so, only a dozen or so have achieved Grand-rank since the Clock Tower's founding.
Even Lord Eulyphis, head of Spiritual Evocation, despite a lifetime of effort, stalled at Brand-rank. This fueled his high regard for Kayneth and Roy, prodigies with the potential to reach Grand.
If Roy truly achieved the highest theoretical rank in his early twenties, it would cause an unimaginable uproar across the mystical world.
It would break records and history, a singular feat since the Clock Tower's inception.
After confirming Roy wasn't joking, even the grim old goat Eulyphis couldn't hide his excitement, breaking into a rare smile and applauding.
Before leaving, he emphasized his anticipation for Roy's performance, sincerely wishing him success.
Though Eulyphis struggled to believe it, Roy was confident in his methods.
Unlike typical geniuses who surpass their era by a step, Roy's research outpaced even prodigies by leaps, a state he called madness or transcending the era.
Unlike ordinary magical prodigies, his foundation could encompass everything, naturally absorbing all usable knowledge and magecraft. His chosen specialties were Spiritual Evocation and Alchemy—disciplines representing distinct attributes, aligning with his grand magecraft.
Alchemy, rare in the Clock Tower, set Roy apart. Save for Kayneth in Mineralogy, no one could rival him.
While Kayneth matched him in alchemical mastery, Roy led in innovation and audacity.
His alchemy wasn't blind mimicry of predecessors but a foundation layered with diverse elemental conversions. He even studied and emulated the Holy Church's religious magecraft, covertly joining an Anglican church, praying—or rather interrogating—God daily, observing and learning. He mastered idolatry, the essence of Christianity, God, and the Bible.
His biblical knowledge could outdebate most Executors. So immersed, he nearly got promoted to a priestly role, only to vanish with several church murals and crosses. This hands-on experience partly explained his deep understanding of angels and God. One could only wonder how the Holy Spirit felt when an indescribable outer god from another world prayed, siphoning faith and foundations.
He also studied demon summoning with Lev, weaving in biblical elements. The complexity would make even a Chaos-origin magus exclaim, "This is too chaotic…"
This framework wasn't his creation but Aleister's, from the Book of the Law. Aleister proposed an all-encompassing knowledge system—use what works, blending ancient and divine magecraft, Kabbalistic Tree of Life, angelic teachings, Christianity, esoteric religions, tarot, astrology, and philosophy into a stitched-together monstrosity.
Utterly blasphemous, yet highly effective.
Many modern Western magecraft systems stemmed from this.
Its strength lay in functionality, but its lack of logic and structure was its hallmark.
Such systems were deemed heretical and cumbersome by magi.
Magecraft's purpose isn't utility or destructive power but the path to the Root. A system aiding that journey is true magecraft.
Modern Western systems, chaotic and versatile, were rejected for not leading to the Root, despite their functionality.
Most magi saw them as trash.
But Roy, from another world, disagreed.
Magi pursued the Root as their path, but this system was merely a tool, hence the disconnect.
If integrated as an auxiliary tool, wouldn't it suffice?
—Integration.
Alchemy and Western magecraft, known for inclusivity, could synergize with most magecraft with slight adjustments. Magecraft required fewer props and preparations than alchemy.
Combined, they produced unexpected results.
Using alchemical arrays to replace magecraft chants enabled instant casting. Magecraft materials fueled alchemical tools.
They complemented each other perfectly.
The challenge was balancing their interplay.
The Sanctuary Formula was the mold mastering that balance.
Using a workshop-like formula, it created a conversion zone for seamless integration.
Alchemy drove magecraft, which fed back into alchemy, surplus mana fueling the vessel—the Sanctuary.
This spiraled upward, like yin-yang, amplifying a magus's power with minimal effort in the shortest time—the essence of the Sanctuary.
Though not as divine as a Reality Marble, it vastly enhanced a magus's field combat and encounter capabilities. Against Dead Apostles or Executors, it prevented being overwhelmed by unpreparedness.
Imagine a workshop that took a day to set up compressed to minutes via the formula. Combat efficiency soared.
An enemy chasing you, losing you for half an hour, only to find you in your workshop—roles reversed, turning an encounter into a siege. Who's unprepared now?
It could leave Dead Apostles and Executors questioning reality. If a doubled-power workshop couldn't win, you deserved defeat.
With this theory, Roy was eighty percent confident of claiming Grand-rank, as it drastically boosted Clock Tower magi's combat and survival rates.
With this, magi wouldn't cower before Dead Apostles or Executors.
A few could stall while others deployed arrays—anyone entering died. Every magus with a workshop turned encounters into sieges. Executors' strength or Dead Apostles' regeneration? Irrelevant under overwhelming magecraft.
Why not one hundred percent?
Though valuable, unlike Aozaki Touko's revival of lost mysteries, his work remained rooted in modern Western magecraft, inherently resisted by traditionalists. With Kayneth and Eulyphis's advocacy, his Grand-rank was assured.
Still, it lacked the mystique of true ancient systems.
Roy knew Runes—original, Odin-taught versions via Scáthach, genuine Age of Gods magecraft. Presenting them could crush Grand-rank effortlessly. But they were Scáthach's, not his. Using them would be unbecoming and invite Aozaki Touko's mockery.
As for the angelic summoning foundation…
It surpassed demon summoning and Runes in value, its reveal another shockwave.
But announcing it would proclaim, "I aim to be the new God," declaring war on the Holy Church.
Such a blasphemous formula wouldn't be recognized. Grand-rank was certain, but so was the Church's pursuit, labeling him a heretic akin to a Dead Apostle Ancestor. The Burial Agency's fanatics would charge, possibly targeting the Clock Tower too.
Until he fully replicated divine power, Roy preferred discretion.
He didn't fear the Burial Agency—wielding the Staff of the Sage and an elemental sword, he'd cut them down. But it would invite trouble.
Disrupting the world's balance, Dead Apostle Ancestors and jesting magi would revel in the chaos.
Though he scoffed, "Mere Christianity," Roy acknowledged the Church's two-thousand-year history and billions of followers outdid the Clock Tower's efficacy.
Executors could fell multiple Dead Apostle Ancestors, unlike Barthomeloi's elite team, whose kills were limited to lesser Dead Apostles.
Wiping out the Church's forces would force Roy to hunt Ancestors himself—pointless trouble.
"The Sanctuary Formula and enhanced Golden System are enough. Let Kayneth handle the rest…"
Musing, Roy returned to his room, seeing Lev asleep.
Sighing, he tucked her in, covering her disheveled sleeping form, and quietly left to find another room.
He couldn't sleep beside a young girl—he wasn't a creep. Though, with Lev's undeveloped frame, he'd only worry about her catching cold, not anything perverse.
He planned to draft angelic formula notes in the study, expand the Sanctuary, and submit it to Kayneth for his Grand-rank evaluation, then…
It'd be morning.
Another sleepless night?
"No way."
Glancing at the dim sky, Roy decided to rest.
After urging Lev to rest, overworking himself would be hypocritical.
He hadn't rested properly in ages—sleeping in parking lots, temple grounds, roadsides, or planes.
Touko's lap was nice, but a brief nap wasn't true rest.
Goodnight, Makabaka.
Whispering goodnight to Lev, Roy had the butler fetch bedding and slept on the study's foldout bed.
No disturbances this time—rest well…
…
"Yo, Roy."
Barely asleep, an annoying voice pulled his consciousness into a familiar flower field.
"Missed me so much~"
A perverse voice neared. With a whoosh, a giant hand swatted a white figure lunging at him with questionable intent.
"Aaah…!!"
Merlin, now Mari, flew hundreds of meters, crashing headfirst into the dirt, barely stopping.
"You pervert, again?!"
Seeing Mari stuck, Roy laughed in exasperation.
Days apart, Merlin hadn't reverted to male but embraced her female form, growing bolder, trying to pounce and do unacceptable things.
"Wah… pull me out, Roy…"
Head buried, unable to move, Mari wailed for help.
"Perfect chance!!"
Seizing the moment, Roy rushed over and—
Thwack!!
Kicked her out of the ground without mercy.
"Eee…!!"
Mari landed on her rear.
Rubbing it, she stood, glaring at Roy resentfully.
"Can't you be gentler? I'm a lady now. Treating women so roughly, no one will like you."
"If you didn't disturb my sleep and act so perverse, I'd respect you, Merlin—no, Mari."
Roy sneered, "I don't have patience for near-hysterical women."
"Hehe… sorry, it's a female body. I want to try things I couldn't before."
Mari wiped dirt off, twirling playfully. "Wanna try with me?"
"…Scram."
As Mari approached, Roy snapped his fingers, summoning giant hands ready to pound her into a mole.
"Unromantic man~ If it were me, I'd… okay, okay, put the sword down."
Mari begged for mercy.
After some tussling, they settled.
"Roy, you haven't rested properly, have you? You seem busy," Mari asked, smiling.
"Yeah, the Root sent me to other cities, I missed flights, and now I've got rank exams and troublesome experiments. I need to get stronger, or that tragic future will hit hard…"
Roy nodded. "This world's a mess—internal and external strife, full of tragedies. Saving it isn't simple…"
"I know. Tragedy is this world's theme…"
Hearing his sighs, Mari nodded, sitting opposite, listening quietly.
"But, Roy, you've done well. In the Fourth Holy Grail War, you achieved what I couldn't imagine—a near-perfect happy ending. Everyone fulfilled their wishes or found answers, and many who should've died survived. That's a great story…"
"Not just me, Artoria-chan and the King of Heroes are quite taken with you. Your changes to the unseen future drew another wondrous king, eager to meet you formally."
"Prepare to be busy. These bonds aren't easily resolved."
Mari tilted her head, conjuring a cup of flower tea for Roy.
"Another wondrous king? Who's that? My summoning slots are full—Scáthach, Gilgamesh, Artoria. Too many bookings… I don't know who to summon if it comes to it," Roy said, sipping the tea before spitting it out.
It tasted like computer parts…
Seeing him spit, Mari looked regretful but, catching his murderous glare, shut up and continued about the king.
"Who's this king?"
"Hehe, I'd love to spill, but it's a secret~"
Mari winked, smiling. "You're fated to meet him formally, so don't worry. As for Artoria-chan and Gilgamesh, rest assured, your bonds and karma ensure future meetings~"
"Meet again? No thanks… I think we're fine apart…"
Roy groaned, clutching his forehead.
"Headache already? Bit early for that."
Mari tilted her head, looking serious. "Actually, it's not just them. I'd love to be your partner once. Any chance for me, Mr. Roy?"
"You…? Partner?"
Her sudden words widened Roy's eyes. He studied her, but her incubus nature hid her sincerity. Still, he quipped, "Aren't you an observer, watching the world's stage and commenting? Why join in?"
"And if summoned, you'd hide behind me, cheering and buffing while I fight? Useless—you'd never fight seriously."
Knowing Mari too well, Roy teased.
"Ehe~ Busted."
Mari stuck out her tongue.
"But, Mr. Roy, you're wrong about one thing…"
"What?"
Surprised, Roy looked at her.
Her usual flippancy vanished, replaced by resignation.
"How long do you think I've lived?"
"No idea, but probably ages," Roy shrugged.
"I don't know either," Mari said, plucking a flower. "I'll live far longer—long enough to scare me. So I seek distractions to forget."
"I love humans. Their brief lives are epic, glorious, grand. I envy them, wishing I could bask in those emotions, dying happily before time erases them."
"Why not join them?"
Roy shrugged.
"I have…"
Mari gazed at the dream's pink sky, petals fluttering like resisting a breeze, only to drift away.
"Uther, Arthur… countless stories—I was there. I played heroes, fought for justice, silly reasons… but…"
Mari smiled bitterly, releasing her arms. The flower, stripped of petals, lay bare in her hand, its beauty gone.
"My stories ended poorly. No matter how I acted or directed, they felt fake. I found no joy, only tragedy. Artoria moved me most—her despair, her loss, I felt it truly, my first human emotion. Not pleasant, though…"
"So you keep asking me to save Artoria?" Roy sighed deeply.
"To atone for your regrets?"
"Yeah… my first regret, my first genuine desire to save someone, something. The result…"
Mari cast a spell, restoring petals to the flower.
"I'm truly satisfied. I felt joy, beauty—not just Artoria, but the heroes' endings were pure. I'll always remember them, a beautiful story."
"I know this beauty stems from your efforts. That's why I'm so curious, fond of you, wanting to claim you like Gilgamesh, to hold that beauty forever."
"So, Roy Crowley, mind a dream companion who chats, confides, even warms your bed?"
"…"
"What are you doing?"
As Mari spoke, Roy summoned invisible hands, lifting her.
"You pervert, just after my body! Like Gilgamesh or Scáthach, you're shameless. Such behavior's wrong—my righteous heart can't ignore it. I'll fix your twisted mind!!"
"Help what… wait, no!!"
Ignoring Mari's feigned wails, Roy grinned, dragging her to a corner. Amid clanging and her screams, he tossed her into the flowers.
"You're just bored!!"
Roy snorted. "Done with nonsense? Anything else, or shall we start today's lesson? Your antics killed my sleep."
"There is…"
Bruised Mari, pulling out Roy's projected swords, raised a shaky hand.
"Speak. More tangents, and you're done."
"First… Morgan's very interested in you. Our cause-and-effect trick fooled her, ruining her centuries of plans in Britain. She's furious and might trouble you soon."
"Then?"
"Zelretch wants you to visit… he's got something good. But I know what it is…"
"Oh, gone now?"
"Gone."
"Alright, get up."
Ignoring her theatrics, Roy yanked her up. "You're perverse, but thanks for the heads-up, Mari. Let's start today's lesson—time waits for no one."
"Fine. Want a private lesson? Don't be shy, say it…"
Within minutes, Mari forgot her lesson, her hands wandering until Roy's gratitude turned to exasperation and anger.
The dream field erupted in their playful brawl.
Unlike Roy, Mari's lips held a blissful smile.
'This feeling… you're truly special~'
'No refusing—an incubus's invitation is fated. Soon, we'll be partners across time…'
She murmured amid the flowers.
***
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