Magic

Magic (魔法) is a class of mystery that surpasses magecraft and all current sciences — absolutely unattainable through the mere expenditure of time and resources. It is considered the ultimate accomplishment of a magus, and only within the grasp of those who have accessed the swirl of the Root.

In gross oversimplification, "magic" can be differentiated from "magecraft" in that the consequences of its use are ostensibly "impossible" or "miraculous." Where counter forces discourage magecraft for its violation of natural processes, its end output is not inherently beyond the dictates of the world; ergo, a spell that creates a fire is not "magic," because something as mundane as lighting a match can yield the same result. Likewise, though the effects of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception cannot be replicated through magecraft, its use results merely in the imposition of "death" — a concept well within the realm of the "possible," and thus outside the domain of the "miraculous." By corollary, it is probable that the achievements of magecraft may be someday replicated through science, as both operate within the laws of nature.

Time manipulation, teleportation, spatial warping and quarantine, and the resurrection of the dead are generally thought to be possible only through the application of magic; the Second and Third Magic are capable of "resurrection" by different means; and Time Manipulation could hypothetically reverse death. Skilled users of magecraft have, however, demonstrated near-magical feats on occasion — for example, Innate Time Control, teleportation (performed by Caster), and Spatial Quarantine (performed by Araya Souren). Reality Marbles — which permit apparent violations of nature by temporarily suspending the action of counter forces within a region of space — are also considered relatively close to magic, but their influence ultimately defers as well to the authority of the world.

Though magic users were common at the dawn of humanity, their proliferation receded with rise of civilization, and only four of the five remaining magics officially recognized by the Mage's Association are presently still in use. Prior to the conclusion of the Age of Gods circa two millennia before present day, magecraft was near magic in effect, but the gap between them has since widened.

In the potential future of Notes, each of the Six Sisters are capable of using magic. Incidentally, the force of nature calculated by Zepia Eltnam Oberon to guarantee the eventual destruction of humanity is called "The Sixth" or "Program No. 6" (第六法) — different from "The Sixth Magic" (第六魔法) by only one character. It is unknown if it bears any relationship with The Dark Six or the Six Sisters.

The First Magic

 * Name: Unknown.
 * Domain: Though the exact domain of the First Magic is uncertain, it is thought to be related to the generation of Ether clumps, which could be referred to as "materialized nothing." Thus, of the phenomenon noted in Fate/hollow ataraxia as attainable only through True Magic, it is most likely to be associated with the Denial of Nothingness (無の否定).
 * User: Deceased. The user of the First Magic is long dead, but as traces of the magic continue mark the world, 'five users' are still said to exist. The deceased user is the only existence recognized as worthy of respect by the blue-blooded Barthomeloi clan that cornerstones the Mage's Association in London.

The Second Magic

 * Name: Unknown; referred to as either "Zelretch" or "Kaleidoscope".
 * Domain: Operation of Parallel Worlds (平行世界の運営)
 * User: Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. Tohsaka Rin uses fragments of it in the Heaven's Feel route of Fate/stay night.

The Third Magic

 * Name: Heaven's Feel, Cup of Heaven (天の杯).
 * Domain: Materialization of the soul.
 * User: If any users can be named at all, the most qualified would be Lizleihi Justica von Einzbern, the core of the Great Grail System, and Illyasviel von Einzbern although she cannot use it properly.

The Fourth Magic

 * Name: Unknown.
 * Domain: Unknown.
 * User: Unknown.

The Fifth Magic

 * Name: Magic Blue (魔法・青)
 * Domain: Unknown. It is also unknown if Aoko's specialization in the act of destruction relates to her use of the Fifth Magic. Dialogue in the Melty Blood series and Fate/Extra imply a link between her abilities and the concept of 'Time.' If these can be regarded as canonical, true Time Travel (時間旅行) may be a phenomenon enabled by the Fifth Magic.
 * User: Aozaki Aoko.